Gaining Strength
by AdamantAdmin213
Summary: The Dragonborn have parted ways, both seeking to grow stronger before the final battle with Alduin. Seeking to improve his magic, Jaden Relix heads north to the College of Winterhold.
1. Chapter 1

Gaining strength

Summary: The Dragonborn have parted ways, both seeking to grow stronger before the final battle with Alduin. Seeking to improve his magic, Jaden Relix heads north to the College of Winterhold.

* * *

Windhelm

Ulfric Stormcloak sank into his throne as the day came to an end. The war continued to be in stalemate, with the Imperials holding the west of Skyrim while he controlled the east.

However, there was a more pressing matter that demanded his attention at the moment.

The Dragonborn.

Word had spread quickly from Whiterun hold some time ago that not one, but two Dragonborn had been discovered when they slew a Dragon that had been attacking the hold.

Reliable details, however, were hard to come by. By most reports, the Dragonborn were siblings, the eldest of the two being a woman in her mid-twenties, with the younger being a man only three years younger. They said that the pair of them had answered the Greybeards call and ascended the Throat of the World.

There were even rumors that the two of them had battled the World-Eater himself atop the mountain and driven him off.

Ulfric had no reason to doubt these rumors, as the Dragonborn was a great Nordic legend, after all! Of course a pair of brave Nordic warriors could achieve all of these things.

The rest of the rumors, however, were quite troubling.

The Dragonborn were Nords! They had to be. They were part of a Nordic prophesy and were apparently great warriors, fighting for Skyrim's safety. So why were there rumors that the pair of them were Dunmer?!

This raised another question. Why had the Dragonborn not come to join him? They obviously cared for Skyrim, so why do they not join his army and drive the Imperial milk-drinkers from their land?

"My Jarl." Came a voice, snapping Ulfric out of his thoughts. Kneeling before the throne was one of his scouts, more specifically, it was one of the few that the Jarl of Windhelm had sent to locate the Dragonborn and bring them to Windhelm. Surely, he could convince them to join his cause if he got the chance to speak with them.

"What do you have to report?" the Jarl spoke, his deep voice carrying through the halls of his palace.

The scout stood. "My Jarl, I have searched for word of the Dragonborn, and have news. It appears that they have separated."

Ulfric raised an eyebrow. "Separated?"

The scout nodded, his expression hidden behind his helmet. "Yes, Jarl Ulfric. I have heard that the elder has vanished. No one seems to know where she is."

Ulfric's eyes narrowed. "And the younger? What of him?"

"Last word on him came from Whiterun. He appears to be heading towards Winterhold. No one seems to know why."

The Jarl nodded. "Alright. Your previous orders still stand. Find the Dragonborn and bring them here."

The scout nodded, but hesitated as he turned. "My Jarl, might you answer one question for me?"

Ulfric's eyes narrowed. "What question is that?"

The scout took a deep breath, steeling his nerves before continuing. "My Jarl, the rumors about the Dragonborn have been constant for a while now, but you refuse to consider what many of your men have begun to accept. That the Dragonborn might be Dunmer after all."

Ulfric's eyes flashed with anger as he climbed to his feet. "The Dragonborn is a legend from ancient Skyrim, a Nordic Legend! How dare you suggest that the Dragonborn could be Elves! That is an insult to your own ancestors, boy!" He thundered.

The scout scrambled back a few steps.

Ulfric returned to his seat. "Leave me, scout. And do not return without the Dragonborn. One or the other, it doesn't matter." His voice resembled a saber cat's growl.

The scout have a hasty nod and almost ran from the room. Ulfric let out a breath as he sank into his throne once more.

Could it be true? Could the Dragonborn be Dunmer? No! The Jarl refused to accept it. The Dragonborn were Nords. That is the way the gods designed it. That is the way it must be.

* * *

Winterhold

Jaden pushed his way through the snow, trying to ignore the cold, but finding that to be quite difficult. The Dunmer wiped wet powder out of his eyes for the third time before he was finally able to see the road in front of him visible through the heavy snowfall. After a few more minutes of walking, Jaden entered the capital of Winterhold.

The city hadn't improved much over the last time had been here. There were very few buildings still standing and only three guards wandering the street as Jaden passed through. The Dunmer ignored most of this, instead focusing on his reason for coming.

The College of Winterhold. The only place a mage could go to work in peace in this province. While the Jarls had their court wizards out of tradition and necessity, anyone else was generally met with hostility if they were seen practicing magic.

As he approached the entrance, he was stopped by an Altmer. She stood in front of him, barring access, but didn't seem to show open hostility.

"What brings you here, Dunmer?" She asked, appearing genuinely interested in the answer.

Jaden met her eye. "I am a mage and wish to join the College. May I enter?"

The Altmer crossed her arms and put a fist to her chin. "Perhaps, but what is it you hope to find within?"

Jaden lowered his head. "I'm hoping to learn more about Destruction magic."

The Altmer nodded, but Jaden thought he saw the ghost of a smile appear on her face before she responded. "Destruction magic is powerful, truly. Wield it faithfully and few can withstand you." She lowered the hand from her chin. "It appears the College does indeed possess what you seek. However, before you can enter, you must prove you have some talent with magic. A small test if you will."

Jaden nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

The Altmer smiled. "Any mage skilled in Destruction should be able to do a basic Firebolt spell."

Jaden nodded and held a hand towards the seal on the ground, summoning his magicka. A small orb of flame formed quickly in his palm before launching itself forward, crashing into the seal.

The Altmer nodded. "Well done. I believe you will make a superb addition to the College. I am Faralda, and I am the College's instructor in the school of Destruction. Welcome, apprentice. Might I know you're name?"

Jaden nodded. "Jaden Relix, and thank you. May I enter the Collage now?"

The Altmer nodded. "Of course. Once inside you will want to speak with Mirabelle Ervine, our Master Wizard."

Jaden nodded. "Thank you, Instructor." Jaden said the title out of habit, earning a confused look from Faralda, but she chose to wave him towards the Collage rather than question the Dunmer.

Jaden quickly crossed the bridge and met the Master Wizard Faralda had told him about. When he found her, Mirabelle had been in conversation with another Altmer, one Jaden immediately recognized as a member of the Thalmor.

As Jaden approached, the conversation had apparently reached its end. After introducing himself to Mirabelle, the Master Wizard began to show Jaden to his room.

However, as the two began to walk towards the Hall of Attainment, the Thalmor stepped in. "Hold." He said as he stepped towards Jaden, glaring at his face.

Jaden met his eye, his face betraying nothing. "Yes? Did you need something?"

The Thalmor agent continued glaring. "Have we met before?" He practically spat the words into Jaden's face.

Jaden's face twisted in confusion for a moment before realization struck. The Thalmor Embassy. "No, I do not believe so, sir."

The agent continued glaring at Jaden for a few moments before he turned on his heel and left.

Jaden turned to Mirabelle, confusion on his face. The Breton shook her head and sighed. "Please don't mind Ancano. He's here as an adviser to the Arch-Mage, but apparently he's used to the Empire bowing to his every demand. Be assured that the Thalmor receive no such treatment here."

Jadan nodded as the Breton showed him to his room. "Here we are. Now, I have business to attend to, so I must leave you. Tolfdir is holding a lesson tomorrow morning and I do hope you will join the other apprentices for it. If you have any problems, please let one of our senior members know."

Jaden nodded. "Thank you, Master Wizard."

Mirabelle looked at the Dunmer quizzically. "Titles are completely unnecessary here. Address our instructors and other apprentices by name, please."

Jaden was still, before nodding once again. "I will try, Mrs. Ervine."

The Master Wizard nodded. "All right then. Goodbye." With that said, the Breton left the hall.

Jaden took in his dorm room, pulling the staff off his back and leaning it against the wall. Turning, the Dumner left his dorm and exited the Hall, taking a seat on the bench outside and pulling book out of his robe pouch to begin reading.

It was an old book, the cover having long faded to the point it was featureless. Jaden flipped open to the one of the pages where he had left his marker and continued reading.

A short distance away, the arrival of an unknown Dunmer caught the attention of a pair of young mages, who approached their fellow apprentice.

"You are new, yes?" came a voice, snapping Jaden out of his book. Looking up, he saw a pair of figures standing beside him.

Jaden closed his book and stood, slipping it back into his robe's pouch before taking in the pair of them.

One was a Khajiit. He stood with the laid back attitude of someone with far too much pride and too little humility.

The other was another Dunmer. Her skin was unusually dark for a Dark Elf, closer to blue then grey and eyes red as blood.

Jaden nodded and extended a hand. "Yes. My name is Jaden Relix. Might I know yours?"

The Khajiit took the extended hand, giving it a firm shake. "J'zargo is pleased to make your acquaintance." His eyes narrowed slightly, as if sizing Jaden up. "You have training in the school of Destruction, I believe."

Jaden nodded. "I do. Every mage should know enough to protect themselves."

J'zargo smirked. "Really? Have you mastered the Expert level destruction spells?"

The Dunmer turned to her fellow student. "J'zargo, that's not fair. He's only just ari-"

"Yes, I have." Interrupted Jaden, not taking his eyes off the Khajiit.

J'zargo started. "Really? J'zargo finds that hard to believe."

Jaden shook his head and took a few steps away before extending his hand towards one of the magelights that ringed the College's grounds, fingers curled. He focused his mind, summoning his magic. Sparks began to jump between his fingers for a few moments as a bright ball of blue light formed in his palm. With a quick thrust of his hand, Jaden sent the Thunderbolt spell straight into the magelight. He then turned back to his acquaintances, who were stunned by what had just occurred.

"Does that evidence suffice?" Jaden asked, a slight grin breaking out on his face.

J'zargo folded his arms, but didn't seem intimidated. "Impressive. It's good that there are mages here that might be able to keep up with J'zargo. We will see whose magic proves stronger." With that, J'zargo turned and entered the Hall of Attainment.

Jaden watched him go before turning to the other mage. "Is he always like that?"

The female Dunmer nodded. "Unfortunately." She extended a hand. "We haven't been introduced. Brelyna Marylon, of House Telvaani." As Jaden accepted the hand, Brelyna's eyes narrowed. "And before you ask, yes I have an ancestry steeped in magic and no, I don't want to talk about it. Yes, I know that Winterhold used to be full of our kind and no, I don't care that they're gone now. Does that cover everything?" her voice was irritated, as if she had recited that speech several times before.

Jaden tilted his head confused. "What? I wasn't going to ask about your ancestry. I don't care about it."

Brelyna looked shocked. "Really?"

Jaden nodded. "Really."

"Why don't you care about ancestry?" the Dunmer woman's tone changed immediately from confrontational to curious.

Jaden shook his head, sighing. "All ancestry does is throw expectations at you." He turned and began to head back to his dorm room. "I learned that the hard way."

Brelyna stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just occurred. She remembered the name Jaden had introduced himself with. "Relix…..where have I heard that name before?" She stood there for a few more minutes before she realized the sun was sinking at she get back to her room to study.


	2. Chapter 2

_Jaden flung himself behind a boulder to escape the powerful flames that were sent his way as the World-Eater pressed forward, his red eyes filled with rage as the Dark Elf avoided his attack. Jaden prepared another spell between his hands and quickly stood, releasing a powerful bolt of lightning into the black dragon's scales._

_Alduin recoiled slightly, giving Jaden the time to put some distance between the two of them. He pushed himself away from his cover and ran backwards, trying to reach another pile of rocks before Alduin could recover._

_The ground, apparently, had other ideas._

_The Dark Elf stepped onto a patch of ice and felt his leg slide out from under him, bringing him to the ground and sending a rush of pain down his arm as his shoulder collided with the rock hard ice. He bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out._

_Alduin gave a gravelly laugh. "Hin gluus ol vodein hi, Joor." _**(Your luck has abandoned you, Mortal.) **_Jaden knew he was right. There was no cover he could reach to avoid the Word-Eater's shouts. Every movement sent a surge of pain down his shoulder and side as he attempted to form another spell between his hands, only to feel it fail with an audible fizzle._

_He was doomed._

_With deliberate slowness, the World-Eater moved towards the fallen Dunmer before pinning him with one wing. _

_Jaden met the eyes of the beast as he arched his neck back._

"_Hin oblaan lost bo, Dovahkiin!" _**(Your end has come, Dragonborn!) **

_Alduin's jaws descended._

Jaden sat bolt upright in his bed, sweat pouring down his body as he tried to catch his breath. He tried to catch his breath and slow his thunderous heartbeat. Slowly, he raised his hands to caress his forehead.

"Just a dream." Jaden told himself. "It's just a dream."

He had been having nightmares often recently, almost every night since the confrontation with Alduin. It was always similar. Just him and the first-born of Akatosh atop the mountain. Beyond that, he could do whatever he wanted, flinging his Expert level spells with abandon, but the end result was always the same.

The World-Eater taking his life.

Jaden knew that these dreams had no basis in fact at all. He hadn't been alone on the Throat of the World when he fought Alduin. His teacher, sister and best friend had all been there, the three of them fighting alongside him.

But the dreams persisted none the less, and they were powerful.

Jaden slowly lowered his hands as he brought his breathing back under control. The Dunmer closed his eyes, attempting to banish the image of Alduin's jaws coming down on him. "It wasn't real." He kept telling himself. "It wasn't real."

A few moments later, Jaden slid out of bed and pulled on his boots. He left the Hall of Attainment thinking some fresh air could clear his head.

Outside, Skyrim's weather had apparently decided to clear up for the time being. There wasn't a cloud visible against the slowly brightening sky. Sighing, the Dunmer entered the Hall of the Elements, hoping to shake of his nightmare.

He entered the large, open room and made his way to one of the benches that ringed it. He sat there for an unknown amount of time, lost in thought.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice he wasn't alone until the newcomer was standing in front of him.

"I do believe you are new here. We haven't spoken before." Said a voice, snapping Jaden out of his thoughts.

Standing in front of him, wearing very heavily enchanted robes, was an older Dunmer. He had a mage's hood pulled over his head, but didn't seem intimidating. In fact, his eyes seemed quite warm and friendly.

Jaden stood. "Yes, I am sir."

The Dunmer smiled slightly. "Sir? How quaint." He extended a hand to Jaden. "I am Savos Aren, the Archmage her at the Collage. And if I am not mistaken, you are the new apprentice, Jaden Relix."

The younger Dunmer nodded and accepted the hand. "Yes, that's me."

Savos nodded. "I thought so." He was still for a moment, appearing to consider something before continuing. "I know who you are, Jaden, and I know what it means."

Jaden felt as if his stomach had dropped through his torso. "You do?"

"Yes." Savos checked to make sure they were alone. "You are a Dragonborn and I do believe I know where your family name originates."

Jaden sighed. There was no point in denying it. "Yes, sir. It's true."

Savos nodded. "I see. Might I ask why you haven't told anyone here who you really are?"

Lowered his head to look at the floor. "Sir, even before I came to Skyrim I have always had expectations thrown at me because of my family name and my being a mage. I just want to become stronger, not be pressured to live up to the reputation of a man I have never even met."

Savos seemed surprised to hear that, but smiled. "That's a noble attitude."

The sound of the large doors opening and closing brought the Archmage's attention to the entrance, where he met the piercing, demanding eyes of Ancano, as the Thalmor agent approached.

Sighed, Savos turned back to Jaden. "Don't worry. I will keep your secrets, Jaden. Now, you best prepare. Tolfdir will be beginning his lesson soon."

Jaden smiled and nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Smiling once more, the Archmage turned and walked towards the Thalmor, exchanged a few words before the pair of them left and entered the Archmage's quarters.

Jaden watched as the older Dunmer left, feeling slightly relieved before the sound of the door opening again caught his attention.

An old Nord had entered the hall, followed by J'zargo, Brelyna Marylon and another apprentice that Jaden did not recognize.

The old Nord noticed him and approached. "I assume you are our newest apprentice."

Jaden nodded. "I am, sir."

The Nord grinned widely. "It's nice to know that the younger generation still appreciates knowledge. I am Tolfdir and I will be your instructor for the day." He gestured to the end of the hall where the other three apprentices were standing. "Please, join us, Mr. Relix."

Jaden stiffened slightly before moving to join the group. "Please, sir. It's just Jaden."

Tolfdir nodded. "Of course, my boy, of course."

After Jaden had taken his position alongside the others, Tolfdir began his lesson about the dangers of magic.

That didn't last long as the apprentices began to protest.

"Sir, we all understand the dangers of magic. We wouldn't be here if we couldn't control it." Said Brelyna.

"J'zargo says we learn something practical. Then you will see what J'zargo can do!" the Khajiit added.

'_Arrogant fool.' _Thought Jaden to himself.

The unknown apprentice was about to speak before Tolfdir interrupted him. "Please, please. This is exactly what I was afraid of. Eagerness must be tempered with caution or disaster is inevitable."

Jaden nodded slightly, hoping to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, it seemed Tolfdir's eyes were still sharp.

"It appears Jaden agrees with me." He said, relieved that not all his students were so rash.

Jaden sighed. "I've seen what magic can do if it's misused." His voice was level, but held a slight edge of sorrow.

J'zargo didn't seem fazed by Jaden's voice. "Oh, don't listen to him. We can do it!"

Tolfdir sighed. "All right, all right. I suppose we could do something practical." He leaned back slightly and folded his arms. "We'll start with Wards. Wards are defensive spells that block magic." He turned to Jaden. "Jaden, since you believe in safety, care to go first?"

The Dunmer nodded. "Of course, Instructor." Jaden flinched slightly when his automatic response came out as he took a position a few feet away from the instructor, ignoring the questioning gaze that Tolfdir gave him.

"Now cast your ward, and keep it up." Instructed Tolfdir.

Jaden raised a hand, summoning his magic. A shimmering shield of semi-transparent energy materialized in front of him as he cast his magic.

Tolfdir nodded before raising his own hand and summoning a firebolt. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent it hurtling towards Jaden's ward.

The ward blocked the spell easily, along with the next six before Tolfdir nodded to Jaden.

"Well done, my boy." He said, smiling softly. "You are quite adept with magic it seems."

Jaden nodded and lowered his ward before returning to his position in the room.

Brelyna went next. Her ward was shattered when the fourth bolt crashed into it. She seemed slightly disheartened as she returned to stand by Jaden, even when Tolfdir complemented her control.

J'zargo lasted until the fifth bolt, his ward dissipating as his magicka was depleted. While Tolfdir gave him praise for lasting as long as he did, the Khajiit stormed back to his spot, shooting Jaden a sharp look.

After testing the final apprentice, Tolfdir turned to the group. "Excellent. It seems that all four of you possess a degree of magical skill."

"Some more than others." J'zargo said quietly.

Tolfdir either didn't hear or chose to ignore him. "We will end here for the day. Our next lesson is in two days. I want you all to continue practicing with Wards. Good day."

Jaden nodded politely before turning and walking off to a quiet corner of the room and sat down on the bench before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a copy of _Liminal Bridges_ to begin reading. It was interesting enough, keeping the Dunmer's attention. It was so engrossing that he didn't notice someone approaching until they had sat down beside him.

Lifting his head, Jaden was met with the not unwelcome sight of Brelyna Marylon seated beside him. She sighed as she looked at the floor, hands between her knees and fingers intertwined.

"Brelyna? Is something wrong?" Jaden asked, closing his book.

The other Dunmer turned to look at him, making eye-contact before she spoke. "How do you do it?"

Jaden tilted his head, confused. "Do what?"

"Magic!" Brelyna snapped, Jaden recoiling slightly at her sudden shift in tone. "Only two days of being here, you can already cast Expert level Destruction spells and Adept level Restoration. How can you do it so easily?!"

Jaden leaned away from her and raised his hands in a submissive gesture. "Brelyna, I've been studying magic for as long as I can remember. Everything I know is because of practice. Nothing else."

Brelyna continued to glare at the other Dunmer for a moment before she sighed once again and lowered her head. "I'm sorry. It's just…."

"Just what?" Jaden asked, putting the book down beside him to the give the distressed woman his complete attention.

Brelyna didn't look at Jaden as she kept her gaze on the floor. "I've been learning magic since I was old enough to read. I always tried as hard as I could to make them proud, but I never seemed to live up to their expectations." Her voice quivered on the last word, almost as if she was trying not to burst into tears.

Jaden shifted uncomfortably as he listened to his fellow apprentice, but felt the need to at least try to help her. "Who do you mean, 'Their expectations'?"

Brelyna's head didn't come up. "My parents. They always told me how great my ancestors were and that it was my 'duty' to become just as great as they were."

Jaden nodded sullenly. "House Telvanni has a history of being powerful mages. I can see why your parents would push you to be like them."

"It was more than that." Brelyna responded as she took a shaky breath. "It started with just encouragement to practice when I was young, but as I got older, I don't know, it was like if it wasn't about magic they just didn't care what I did."

Jaden sat completely still for a moment, before he slowly reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about them. If they can't be proud of you for doing the best you can, then they don't deserve the respect you give them."

Brelyena just shook her head, a tear falling from one eye. "You don't know what it's like, Jaden. You just don't."

The Dragonborn sighed. "Yes, I do Brelyna. I know exactly what it's like."

"You do?" she asked, her eyes still wet.

Jaden nodded. "Yes, I do. You're not the only one who's dealt with parental expectation."

Brelyna turned to look at her friend. "Tell me."

Sighing, Jaden returned his gaze to the floor. "My father wasn't the most accepting of men. He had…..plans for me." Jaden felt his blood begin to boil as he thought about his father.

Brelyna noticed the way his body clenched and placed a hand on his shoulder softly. "Jaden, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have too."

Jaden sighed. "Thank you. It's just…..I hate talking about my father."

She nodded. "It's alright, Jaden. And thanks."

"For what?" Jaden asked her, confused.

Brelyna smiled. "For listening to me."

Jaden looked like he was about to respond when another voice interrupted him.

"Oh, good. You're both still here." Said Tolfdir as he re-entered the Hall of the Elements.

Jaden turned to the instructor. "Sir? What is it?"

Tolfdir smiled. "Well, my boy. The Collage has recently began an excavation of the city of Sarthaal and the Archmage has agreed that it is a wonderful learning opportunity for the apprentices. I hope to see you both there. We are meeting at the entrance tomorrow at midday. I hope to see you both there."

* * *

Riften

'_Stupid Grelod. I hate you so much.' _

Runa Fair-Shield was on her hands and knees, scrubbing the orphanage's floor for the fifth time that week. The nine-year old had been at Honorhall for almost six years now and she had hated every moment of it.

The young Nord's eyes landed on her wrists. They were still scraped raw from the last time Grelod had put her in…the Room. Sighing, Runa continued scrubbing the floor, hoping to get it done and maybe be given a less demanding job when finished. Her back already ached from kneeling for so long as she dipped the brush into the soapy water for the umpteenth time to continue washing the floor.

It was when she heard a 'thud' behind her that her stomach dropped out. The other children were doing chores with Constance at the far side of the room, so the only person who could have slipped was….

Slowly, the Nord girl turned her head to see behind her.

Grelod the Kind was on the ground, her eyes locked on the girl, displaying nothing but rage. The old woman slowly climbed back to her feet, glaring down at the girl.

"You little brat!" she growled as she stepped closer to the girl. "You'll pay for that!"

Runa immediately scrabbled for the door to the yard. Normally, trying to go into the yard would earn her a beating, but, seeing as Grelod was going to beat her anyway, she didn't care.

She pushed the door open and rushed to the far side of the yard, to the small hole in the fence where the metal bar had rusted away. She and Samuel had knocked the bar out several weeks ago before Samuel had tried to escape like Aventus had, only to be caught by a guard and brought back to the Orphanage. Grelod had put him in the Room for a week after that.

However, before Ruma could slip through the bars, the door behind her slammed open. Grelod stormed across the yard, grabbed the young girl's arm and threw her back towards the building.

"You think you can run from me, you little guttersnipe?!" Grelod slowly pulled off her belt, holding it by one end as she advanced towards Runa.

Runa squeezed her eyes shut and curled into a ball, waiting for the inevitable lash.

The belt came down on her back once and she gave a loud cry, hoping a guard would come stop the old woman, but knowing that they wouldn't, even if they did notice what was happening.

No one cared what happened to her.

Tears welled up her eyes as she squeezed them shut. Grelod drew her arm back for another strike.

A soft whistling sound seemed to tear through the air, followed by a scream of pain caused Runa to slowly open her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the belt laying on the ground behind. Confused, the girl raised her head.

Grelod stood a few feet away, clutching her wrist as she screamed at the arrow that was speared clean through her palm.

Despite the old woman's screams, Runa was able to hear another voice. This one was far younger than Grelod's, but still sounded like it belonged to a woman. The voice was quiet and smooth, almost soothing, but betrayed a small amount of amusement.

"I can see why the kid wanted you dead, crone."

The space behind Grelod was empty, until Runa blinked. It was then occupied by another figure, their face covered by a hood and mask. Across her back was a bow, its string still vibrating slightly from firing the arrow that was still embedded in Grelod the Kind's hand.

The old woman spun to look at the intruder and was about to start screaming for guards before, suddenly, her body began to spasm uncontrollably as her scream's died in her throat. She collapsed to the ground, her voice trying to form words, but only forcing quiet coughs from her lungs. Runa was shocked to see that frost had begun to form on Grelod's body, specify, around the arrow and up her arm.

The newcomer stepped closer to the fallen woman, shaking her head. "I don't envy you. This enchantment's a bitch." Slowly, the woman's hand went to her waist and slowly, deliberately, drew a pure black sword from it's sheath. She weighed it carefully in her hand before giving it a careful spin.

She stepped closer to the fallen Nord. "Aventus Aretino sends his regards."

The woman buried her blade in Grelod's stomach, giving it a twist for good measure. The whole time, the woman had kept eye contact with her victim, watching calmly as the life left her eyes.

After a moment, the newcomer pulled her blade from the body that lay before her, wiping it clean on the dead woman's dress before returning it to it's sheath.

Runa had been watching the whole time, eyes wide with admiration. She took a cautious step closer to the newcomer. "H-Hello?"

The woman turned to regard the girl and for the first time, Runa was able to see the woman's eyes. They were a dark red and seemed to glow softy from within. The young Nord froze as the woman regarded her, not moving in the slightest.

Then, in a series of movements too fast for Runa to clearly see, her body exploded into a swarm of bats. They flew past Runa's head knocking her to the ground before grouping together again on the roof of the Temple of Mara, where they reformed into the shape of the woman who had killed Grelod.

The woman stared down at Runa for a moment before turning and disappearing from view.

"Wait!" yelled Runa, running for the hole in the fence. She slipped through and began running down the street, catching a glimpse of her savior jumping along the rooftops. With a final jump, the woman disappeared over the city walls. Moving quickly, Runa slipped through the city gate as the guard opened to gate to enter the city.

Runa spun on the spot, searching for the figure she had been pursuing in the pre-dusk gloom. However, the living beings she saw were the horses at the nearby stable.

Her heart sank in her chest as she lowered her head.

"Huh. You did keep up. Color me impressed." Came a familiar voice.

The woman had appeared directly behind her. Runa spun on the spot to find her target kneeling to look her in the eye.

The woman tilted her head. "You followed me out of the orphanage. Why?"

"I-I wanted to thank you." Runa said, not breaking eye contact.

"Why would you thank me? I just took a woman's life in front of you." The woman responded, sounding curious.

Runa felt her fists clench. "I hated her. She beat us and sometimes she….."

"She what?" the woman asked.

"She locked us in…the Room." Runa raised her hands, letting her sleeves fall to show her bruised and scrapped wrists.

The woman's eyes were wide as they took in Runa's wrists, before she very slowly and very gently took Runa's hand in hers, careful not to touch the wound. "You poor child." The woman was silent for several minutes before she spoke again. "What's your name?"

"Runa." The young Nord didn't use her last name. It only reminded her that her parents had abandoned her with Grelod.

"What are you going to do now?"

Runa started. "W-What?"

"Do you want to go back to the orphanage?"

Runa's head fell. "No. I never want to see that place again." The young Nord felt tears in eyes again as she thought about going back to that place, until she heard the woman's response.

"Do you want to come with me?"

Runa's head shot up, making eye contact with the woman again. "What?"

While she couldn't see the woman's face, Runa could almost feel the smile break across her hidden features. "You don't want to go back to the orphanage, and I have a place you could live. You could come with me."

Runa didn't respond with words. Instead she threw her arms around the kneeling figure, happy tears falling from her eyes as she felt her savior wrap her own arms around her. Then, the young girl felt the arms lift so that she was being carried.

The woman's eyes met Runa's. "Sleep now, little Runa."

Runa wanted to protest, but seeing those glowing eyes made her own begin to drop. As she drifted into slumber, her savior's voice spoke one more time.

"You belong to me now, little Runa. You belong to Juliet Relix."


	3. Chapter 3

Jaden woke early the next morning, ready to make the trip to the excavation site. He pulled on his robes, as he did every morning before picking up his empty pack and turning to the rest of his room, debating what to bring.

Saarthal might be being uncovered by the College, but it was still a Nordic ruin. Anything that had been uninhabited for who knows how long was bound to have wildlife taking refuge inside, saying nothing of the Draugr that always seemed to be waiting for an unfortunate adventurer to stumble onto their tomb.

The Dunmer filled his back with the potions he would likely need. Plenty of Healing and Magicka restoration potions, with a few stamina boosters as well. Pulling on the pack, he turned to his desk, where his staff was leaning between it and the wardrobe. Jaden carefully pulled the staff out, feeling the familiar leather wrapped handle on the carved wood with the soul gem glowing softly on the end.

He slipped it into the small leather ring he had sown into the strap of his bag. He was about to leave the room when his eyes landed on a familiar belt hanging in his open wardrobe. Deciding it was better to be prepared, Jaden grabbed it, strapping it around his waist and feeling its familiar weight on the left side. Taking one last look around the room, Jaden nodded slightly to himself, believing himself ready to travel.

"Oh! You haven't left yet?" Came the voice of Brelyna Maryon as she stepped out of her own room.

Jaden gave her a smile. "No. I was just about to, though."

Brelyna nodded. "So was I." She shifted slightly, seeming uncomfortable before she spoke again. "Well…It would probably be safer to travel together then, wouldn't it?"

Jaden nodded. "It would." He turned the doorknob and held the door open. "After you."

Brelyna smiled. "Such a gentleman." She left the Hall of Attainment, Jaden following.

The pair walked in silence as they carefully crossed the bridge. When they were halfway through the town of Winterhold, Jaden finally broke the silence.

"Never seen you with a bow before." He said as he looked at his map and began to plan a route. He had first noticed as they had crossed the bridge that Brelyna had a hunter's bow strapped across her back, along with a quiver of arrows.

Brelyna turned to him and smiled. "And I've never seen you wearing that sword before." She gestured to the hilt that rested on Jaden's left hip.

Jaden smirked and shook his head slightly. "Touché, Mrs. Maryon." He let a hand drift down to brush the hilt before he returned to his map, holding it steady. Luckily, it was one of the few nice days that could rarely be found in the north. The sky was empty of clouds and a cold sun came down from above.

Jaden turned to his companion. "Well, the fastest way to the excavation site is through that pass." He gestured to a snow covered hill that led away from the town until, at the top, it vanished between a pair of tall mountains.

Brelyna inspected the map. "We could go around if we had too, couldn't we?"

Jaden nodded. "We could, but that would involve taking this path around the mountain." He traced a finger across the parchment. "We'd reach Saarthal, but not in time to meet with Instructor Tolfdir."

Jaden flinched slightly as Brelyna turned to him. "Why do you always do that? You always call Tolfdir and all the other instructors 'Instructor'." They've told you before to use their names, but you still do it."

Jaden sighed. "It's an old habit."

Brelyna's face twisted with concern. "What do you mean?"

Jaden shook his head irritably. "Can we just go, please?" Without waiting for an answer, Jaden turned and began walking up the hill to the mountain pass.

Brelyna caught up and matched Jaden's pace. "You didn't answer me, Jaden. Why do you have this habit?"

Jaden exhaled heavily and lowered his head. "I guess is because of my father."

"Your father?" The female Dunmer's voice was full of curiosity and concern.

Jaden sighed again and raised his head. "Why do you even care about this?"

Brelyna stepped in front of Jaden, forcing him to stop. "Jaden, why won't you talk to me? You listen when I talk, but when I ask about you, you try to deflect the question."

Jaden met her eye. "Why do you want to know?" he asked in a guarded tone.

Brelyna folded her arms. "Because you are my friend."

Brelyna had expected Jaden to ignore the title and attempt to end the discussion. She was not expecting him to flinch, taking a step back with eyes wide. "We're friends?"

Brelyna felt her face grow warm as she lowered her head, embarrassed. "I'd like to think so. Aren't we friends?"

Jaden didn't move, remaining frozen as he watched Brelyna. He remained that way for several moments, long enough for Brelyna's face to grow even warmer, the red now visible against her dark blue skin. Finally, Jaden lowered his head and sighed again. "I'm sorry, Brelyna. I…I honestly thought you hated me."

Brelyna was shocked. "What in the name of Azura would make you think I hated you?"

Jaden's eyes were locked on the ground. "The way you talked to me yesterday. After the Wards lesson."

Brelyna didn't move. "Jaden, why do you think I hate you?" Her voice was genuinely confused.

Jaden's head didn't rise and his voice remained emotionless. "Do you remember how long I told you I've been studying magic?"

Brelyna nodded, still looking concerned. "You told me you've been practicing for as long as you could remember."

Jaden exhaled heavily. "When I was nine, my father took notice that I was very gifted with magic. He sent me to the Arcane University to study more."

"I thought the University was closed when the Mages Guild disbanded."

Jaden shook his head. "The University itself is still there, but it's closed to most people. Only members of the Synod or high-ranking Nobles can get access to it." He returned to his story. "Well, my father got me in, and that is when my habit began to develop, I guess. The older mages weren't too inclined to teach me and 'give away their secrets'. So during the sessions they just had me casting Novice or Apprentice level spells. Spells that I knew before I even met them and even then they acted like they were superior to me, making me call them 'Instructor'." Jaden's voice began to gain an angry edge before he paused, breathing deep.

Brelyna had been listening intently. "It sounds terrible."

Jaden shook his head. "It got worse. My father kept track of what I learned. He was not satisfied with what the so-called 'wise mages' told him. He always looked disappointed in me."

"But it wasn't your fault. Your instructors wouldn't teach you anything else." Brelyna said, sympathetically.

"Well, my dad didn't see it that way. Eventually, I just got sick of the way I was being treated and began to study on my own. In only a few short weeks, I learned more than any of those pompous fools who were 'teaching' me knew themselves. They didn't take too kindly to that. They hated me when I showed them what I had learned, making them look foolish. I was correcting people decades older than me when they started lecturing me. I argued when I knew they were wrong. And they hated me for it. They hated that I was smarter than they were. Eventually, I just had enough and, one night three years ago, I left the university."

Brelyna looked stunned. "Your father just let you leave?"

"Didn't tell him. I just packed a bag in the middle of the night and walked out through the front gate. After that, Jewels, Cyrus and I left Cyrodiil altogether. Three years later and here I am." Jaden said as he began walking towards the pass again. "Come on. If we don't get moving, Instruc-Tolfdir might leave us behind."

Brelyna matched his pace, but didn't let the conversation end. "You still didn't answer me. Why did you think I hated you?"

"The way you started talking to me after the lesson." Jaden said with a sigh. "When you snapped at me, thoughts were rushing through my head. 'Damn it. I made another person hate me.' I'm….sorry for making that assumption."

Brelyna nodded, giving her friend a smile. "It's alright, Jaden. I'm sorry for making you assume that."

Jaden finally smiled. "Let's just go."

The pair of them began to travel in silence, but with a much lighter air around them. They arrived at the ruin soon after, where Tolfdir quickly put them to work, sending Jaden to search for enchanted artifacts while Brelyna checked another section of the ruin for warding enchantments.

"And another enchanted ring for Jaden." Said Jaden as he knelt to pick the dull gold ring from the floor. Were it not for the faint magic radiating from it, Jaden wouldn't have noticed it. He slipped it into his pocket before standing again. Turning, he entered the room at the end of the hall.

It didn't take long to find another artifact. An amulet rested in an alcove on the wall. Carefully, Jaden reached forward and pulled the amulet from the wall.

This, he quickly learned, was the exact wrong thing to do.

The whole ruin shook violently, knocking Jaden off his feet. With a metallic rumble of ancient machinery, spears shot from the ground behind Jaden, sealing the entrance to the room.

"Azura damn it." Jaden muttered to himself as he pushed himself back onto his feel, feeling new bruise begin to form on his shoulder from when he hit the ground.

"Are you alright, my boy?" Came a familiar voice. Jaden turned to see Tolfdir standing on the other side of the now sealed entrance.

"I'm fine, sir." Jaden said as he studied the bars. "I think I must have triggered a trap of some kind. I'm trapped in here."

"How in the world did that happen?" asked Tolfdir, his voice filled with concern.

Jaden lifted his hand, showing the amulet he had found to the old mage. "I pulled this off the wall. It must have triggered some sort of ancient trap."

Tolfdir nodded. "Maybe the amulet is important somehow. Can you see any way you could use it in there?"

Jaden turned back to the wall he had found the amulet on. "I'll see what I can find." Stepping away from the bars, Jaden looked back at the wall, noting the hollow alcove where he had found the amulet. Thinking logically, he slipped the amulet back into the alcove.

Nothing happened.

Sighing irritably, Jaden took the amulet again. "Ok, maybe I have to use this the way an amulet should be used." He slipped the old chain around his neck, letting it dangle around his throat.

The reaction was immediate.

Wave of flickering rust colored light began to flow between the amulet and the wall as Jaden stood in front of it.

"Well, that seemed to have an effect." Jaden said aloud, putting a fist to his chin.

"I would say so as well." Added Tolfdir as he watched from outside the bars. "I wonder what effect your spells might have."

Jaden nodded and raised his hand, summoning his magic. Not knowing exactly what would happen, he chose to fire only an Apprentice level lightning bolt spell into the stone wall.

The wall promptly exploded inwards, revealing a passage beyond, while a quite grinding sound from below rumbled through the halls as the spears retracted, allowing Tolfdir entrance.

"Another ruin. Fan-fricking-tastic." Jaden cursed quietly to himself as Tolfdir approached.

"Why in the world would this be sealed off?" Tolfdir asked no one in particular. The old Nord turned to Jaden. "We'd better see where this leads, but be prepared to defend yourself."

"Way ahead of you." Said Jaden as he pulled his staff from it's loop before casting a Candlelight spell, letting the orb hover next to his head to illuminate the path ahead.

Tolfdir led the way down the passage. Jaden followed him with an ever-increasing sense of trepidation. He had spent a fair bit of time in tombs since he came to Skyrim and knew it was only a matter of time before things went to Oblivion.

After several minutes, the tunnel ended and the mages found themselves in a small room. A table occupied the center, with coffins pressed into alcoves on the three walls ahead.

Jaden stepped to the left of the table, while Tolfdir went to the right.

Suddenly, Jaden's vision shifted. It was like bright lights were being shone into his eyes from every direction at once, but caused not irritation. The Dunmer didn't even have to squint.

"Tolfdir, what's happening?" he asked the old mage.

When he received no reply, Jaden turned. Tolfdir was standing a few feet away, but appeared to be frozen mid-step.

Confused, Jaden stepped closer.

"Hold mage, and listen well." Came a deep voice from behind him.

Jaden spun on the spot, bringing his staff to bear, the head crackling with magical energy.

Standing behind him, his figure possessing the same qualities as the rest of Jaden's vison, was a hooded Altmer, his features almost hidden behind his hood.

"Who are you?" Jaden demanded, his staff continuing to crackle. "What did you do to Tolfdir?"

The Altmer raised his hands in a calming gesture. "I have done nothing. I am merely here to deliver a warning."

"A warning?" Jaden repeated, his staff lowering slightly.

The Altmer nodded. "Yes. By setting foot here, you have set in motion a series of events that cannot be stopped. Judgement has not been past, as you had no way of knowing. Judgment will be passed based on your actions to come. This warning is given because the Psijic Order believes in you. You mage, and you alone, have the potential to prevent disaster."

Jaden let out an audible sigh as he lowered his staff, the charged spell dissipating. "Why is it always me? Dragonborn, destined to defeat Alduin, grandson of a legend and now apparently the only one who can stop some other disaster?"

The Psijic mage mere folded his arms and shook his head, but Jaden was sure he caught sight of a slight smile on his face. "The Divine appear to favour your family, Dragonborn. Farewell, and know that the Order is watching."

With that said, Jaden's vision returned to normal as the Altmer vanished. Turning, Jaden saw that Tolfdir had become animated once more, resuming his walk as if nothing had occurred. However, it seemed he did notice something had changed.

"Did-Did something just happen?" the old Nord asked Jaden as he turned to examine the room.

Jaden nodded and recounted the events of the last few minutes.

"The Psijic Order issued a warning? To you?" Tolfdir was astounded, his eyes filled with wonder.

Jaden nodded. "You know them?" He asked, trying to gain more information.

Tolfdir shook his head. "I know of them, my boy. None of them have been seen in for over a hundred years now. But I have no idea why they would be contacting you now."

Jaden nodded. "Well, there's no point in sitting here. Let's see if we can find what this warning is about."

Tolfdir turned to one of the alcoves. "Quite right. Now then, let's see if we can open one of these coffins."

No sooner had those words passed the old Nord's lips, the coffins shuddered as their occupants stirred. The lids fell to the floor with a loud crack and, from inside all three tombs, what might have once been a human body, but now looked like they had been dehydrating for many years. Their eyes glowed with a dim blue light as they moved, their bones creaking when they drew their ancient weapons.

Druagr.

Jaden didn't waste a moment. He brought his hand up and fired off a lightning bolt spell into the Draugr closest to him, sending it crashing against the back wall before summoning another, this time aiming for the one closing in on the instructor, battle axe held high. The spell sent it tumbling down to the ground as Tolfdir bathed the last one in a stream of flame.

Sighing, Jaden dispelled his prepared Lightning Bolt as he stepped over one of the smoking corpses. "I hate these things. No matter how many you kill, there's always more waiting."

Tolfdir nodded. "True, Druagr are quite fearsome." The old Nord turned to the coffin in the center alcove. When the Druagr inside had smashed the lid open, the rear wall had fallen in, revealing another passage.

Tolfdir led the way, Jaden following until they entered another large room, an entrance on the far side barred by the same type of spear that had trapped Jaden before.

Jaden's joy at being out of the narrow passages, however, was quickly replaced with unease. The entire area was surrounded on all sides with coffins.

"Instruc-"Jaden caught himself. "Tolfdir, those coffins are more than likely full."

Tolfdir turned to the apprentice behind him, a small smile on his face. "I agree. We must be prepared." The old mage prepared a pair of firebolts in his hands as Jaden summoned a lightning spell.

Immediately after they had entered the room, the coffins began opening. Tolfir released his firebolts into the first, it's dry, rotten clothes catching fire instantly as it's body was consumed in flame.

The second and third drew their weapons and charged the pair. Jaden released his staff with one hand, preparing his lightning bolt and sent it straight into the nearest Draugr's head. The other, however, had already closed the distance, bringing it's sword down at the Dunmer's head.

Jaden brought up his staff, smacking the blade to the side with the edge before lashing out with a foot, colliding with the Draugr's knee.

The undead Nord collapsed, the dry bone in its knee shattered. Even then, it still attempted to rise before Jaden rammed the head of his staff into it's chest, summoning it's magic.

The Draugr's body shot back against the wall, chest smoking from the heat of the lightning spell. Even as it did, more of the coffin's burst open.

Sighing irritably, Jaden prepared another lightning bolt. "You'd think even undead would learn at some point." He fired off the spell as the Draugr lurched forwards, sending it sailing into the far wall. Several rounds of spells later, Jaden and Tolfdir had eliminated the last of the Draugur in the room.

"Well, that's the end of that." Jaden said as he slipped his staff back into it's loop, grateful for the chance to let his Magicka recover.

Tolfdir had turned his attention to the coffins. "I've never seen anything like this in Nordic ruins before. Just look at all these coffins." The old mage turned to Jaden. "I'd like to stay here and examine this for a while. I think you should try to find whatever that vision of yours was warning you about. But please be careful, no discovery is worth a life."

Jaden nodded. "Alright, sir. I will."

Finding a pair of pull-chains, Jaden opened the gate on the far side of the room. With cautious steps, the Dragonborn pushed further into Saarthal.

* * *

Cyrodiil – the Arcane University

The meeting started early in the morning, members of the Synod council huddled around their table at the university, going over the agenda they had prepared.

One member, sitting at the head of the table, turned to the scroll on his left. "The next item on the agenda for the day is the situation in Skyrim. Mzulf, specifically."

Another member, seated on the head's left, folded his arms and angrily sighed. "Again? We agreed to fund that damned Oculory and crystal. What more could they need from us?"

The head turned to him. "It's not what they need, it's what they are hiding. We have received no word from any of the Mages there since we sent the modified crystal back. We must know what they are doing."

"Can we not send a courier and request an update?" a third member spoke up, this one seated on the right of the head.

The head turned to him. "They are purposefully hiding their progress from the rest of the Synod. We need to send a stronger message to these traitors then a courier."

The man on the left spoke again. "What do you suggest?"

"A mercenary or two." The head spoke with conviction. "Let some hired muscle get the research back, by force if need be."

"But that is Extortion, something the Emperor has made very clear is not acceptable among our order." Came the man on the right, his tone of voice very clear that he was not pleased with the limitations that were imposed on him.

"That's the beauty of hiring a fortune-hunting 'professional.'" The head put sarcastic emphasis on the final word. "It wouldn't be traced back to us."

The man on the left kept his arms folded, but seemed to be warming up to the idea. "I take it you have a specific mercenary in mind."

The head nodded. "In the last year and a half, a particular Breton has made quite a name for himself in Skyrim. Why don't we send this job to him? We pay well enough and he won't say a word."

"What makes you so sure that he wouldn't say anything if questioned?"

"He's a mercenary. His simple mind wouldn't know what to do with the evidence. Besides, a mercenary would sell his own mother of a little gold."


	4. Chapter 4

"Why do these tombs always have these stupid puzzles?" Jaden said to himself as he turned the final pillar into position and pulled the lever in the center opening the gate. The Dunmer took a moment to catch his breath as the gate opened.

He had fought his way past a couple of Draugr to reach this point, only to be stopped for about an hour trying to solve this damned puzzle. On the surface, it was simple. The pillars needed to show the symbol above them, but, when he rotated one of the pillars, another rotated as well, changing the symbol it showed.

Finally, after multiple attempts, Jaden was able to line the pillars up properly and finally get the gate open.

"Hold on, my boy! Hold on!" came a familiar voice as Tolfdir ran into the room. "I thought it high time I caught up with you. Honestly, I'm surprised you only made it this far."

Jaden sighed. "Don't blame me. Blame whoever made this damned puzzle. I've stuck here almost since I went on ahead." His voice was quite irritated.

"It may have taken you awhile, but you still figured it out." Tolfdir responded. "It always pays to take your time with a problem, Jaden."

Jaden nodded. "Of course. Tolfdir."

The old Nord nodded, but then realized what Jaden had just said. "It seems you've finally broken that habit of yours, my boy." He said with a smile.

Jaden broke into a smile of his own. "Trying to, at least. Old habits die hard."

Tolfdir turned to the tunnel that Jaden had unsealed. "Well, lets see where this leads, shall we?"

Jaden nodded. "After you, sir."

The instructor led the way, Jaden following, keeping his spells prepared in his hands as they moved through another narrow hallway. This eventually led to another chamber, but this one was considerable more interesting than the last.

"What is that?" Jaden asked as he squinted at the object.

It was sphere shaped, hovering several feet above the ground. It's surface was glowed green from within as some kind of magic was projected around it, flickering with green light.

"I have no idea." Responded Tolfdir as he stepped down an ancient ramp and into onto the floor.

"This magic surrounding it. It's like a Ward, isn't it?" Jaden asked, watching the magic swirl with interest.

Tolfdir nodded. "It appears so, my boy. But what could be so important that it would need to be Warded like this?"

Jaden put his fist to his chin, as he often did when lost in thought. "Could this be what the Psijic Monk warned me about?"

Tolfdir was about to respond, but a loud growl cut him off. Spinning on the spot, the mages saw that they had overlooked a stone throne sitting in the center of the room as they had approached the object. And rising from this throne was another Draugr. This one wore a helmet of ancient metal with two long horns extending towards the ceiling and it's body seemed to glow with some kind of magic.

"Damn it!" Jaden cursed as he prepared a lightning bolt in his hand and Tolfdir prepared a pair of firebolts.

The Draugr didn't even seem to notice the attacks. It just continued to advance as it drew it's ancient war axe and, judging from the cloud of white fog that gathered in it's other hand, prepared a frost spell.

Jaden didn't let that discourage him. He prepared another spell, firing another bolt of lightning at the approaching undead. It had the same effect as the last one. None whatsoever.

"Ours spells don't seem to hurt it." Tolfdir muttered as he unleashed another volley of firebolts.

"Do you have any other ideas?" Jaden asked as the Draugr moved closer and released it's ice spike. The Dunmer threw up his ward to repel it.

"Keep it distracted. I'll try to drain some of it's power!" Tolfdir told his student as he turned and ran towards the orb.

"Alright then. Distract the undead guy." Jaden muttered as the Draugr came closer. "If my spells aren't working, go for the direct approach." He hand dropped to his hip, grabbing his sword.

With a careful pull, the Dunmer pulled the blade from it's sheath, gripping it tightly in both hands as he held it ready to parry.

Jaden sidestepped the axe as it descended before slashing his bronze-colored blade across the Druagr's back, causing it to stumble forward. It didn't stay down long, however. It forced its way back onto it's feet.

As it lurched forward, Jaden heard a crackle of magic as Tolfdir cast a spell towards the orb. The glow around the Draugr seemed to diminish.

"There! Attack it now!" The old Nord called as he fired Sparks into the Ward.

Jaden released his sword with one hand, preparing another lightning bolt before launching it into the Draugr's shoulder. This time, the bolt did visible damage. The undead lurched backwards, it's shoulder smoking as Jaden built up another spell in his hand. With a flurry of Sparks, the Draugr collapsed to the floor.

"That's the end of that." The Dunmer said as he sheathed his sword.

"Impressive work, my boy." Tolfdir said as he turned to examine the orb.

Kneeling next to the dead Dragur, Jaden picked up it's war axe, examining the blue-white aura surrounding it. Sighing, he shook his head. "Already know this enchantment." The Dunmer set the axe aside and returned his attention to the body.

Something wrapped around the corpse's neck caught Jaden's eye. Carefully, the Dunmer removed the object.

It was an amulet, or at least a piece of one. It looked ancient, at least as old as the rest of ruins. Wrapped in in the amulet's chain was a piece of parchment. Carefully, Jaden removed it and unrolled it, reading by the light of his Candlelight spell.

_Be bound here, Jyrik, murderer, betrayer_

_Condemned by your crimes against realm and lord._

_May your name and your deeds be forgotten forever_

_And the charm which you bear be sealed by our ward._

"Jyrik?" Jaden turned back to the corpse. "Is that what they called you, then?" He shook his head before standing. He slipped the amulet and parchment into his pocket. He might look into this later, but at the moment, he had a more pressing matter to attend to.

"What is this thing?" Jaden asked as he approached his instructor.

"I have no idea." Tolfdir responded. "This is amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

Jaden continued watching the orb as it slowly rotated. "I'm finding it hard to disagree with you, sir."

Tolfdir turned to his student. "The Arch-mage needs to be informed on this, but I wouldn't dare leave this unattended. Can you get back to the Collage and let Arch-mage Aren know about this?"

Jaden nodded. "Of course sir."

Carved into the far wall of the chamber, Jaden found another corridor. As he followed it, he began to hear a slight buzzing in his ears. At first, he dismissed it as nothing, but as he continued walking, the buzzing grew louder and more defined, to the point where it resembled chanting more than buzzing.

As Jaden reached the end of the corridor, he found the source of the noise.

Standing in the center of the room, arching around a chest, was an ancient Word Wall.

Breathing deeply, Jaden approached the wall, his eyes locked on the one word that held power. The word reacted to his presence, emitting blue currents of light towards him as he drew closer.

A single word came into focus in the Dunmer's mind.

He spun, facing a wall as he felt the power build in his throat before releasing it in a single word.

"_IIIZ!" _Jaden felt a wave of ice-cold air leave his mouth. A grin broke out on his face as the ice coated the section of wall he had shouted at.

"So, first word of the 'Ice Form' shout then?" Jaden said to himself. He couldn't keep himself from grinning whenever he found a new word of power. Every word he found was another weapon he had against Alduin, after all.

Finding another passage, the Dunmer finally emerged into an alcove in the main excavation of the ruins. With a small jump, he was able to reach the floor and ramp that would allow him to leave the ruins.

The tip back to the Collage was uneventful, as was the report to the Arch-mage. Savos had instructed Jaden to do some research and, hopefully, find more information on the artifact that they had discovered.

Jaden entered the Arcanaeum with a hopeful smile. With some luck, he would be able to find what he was looking for.

"So, back already, huh?" came the voice of the gruff librarian. Urag-groShub sat behind his desk, looking over a small pile of books. Jaden had met him during one of his previous adventures, when he had been hunting for an Elder Scroll.

The Dunmer nodded. "I need some help. We found-"

The Orc raised a hand. "I know what you need. Word travels fast. Some big discovery in Saarthal."

Jaden nodded. "I was hoping you would have some information about the place. Anything at all would help."

Urag turned to the shelf, searching for a particular book. "You're lucky. Another apprentice tried to take this book and run." The Orc chuckled to himself. "He won't be back in my Arcanaeum anytime soon. "

Jaden nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "Let me guess, Atronachs?"

The Orc smirked as he continued to chuckle. "I got a little…creative." Finding the book he was looking for, the librarian turned back to Jaden. "Here you are." As the Dunmer accepted his book, Urag's expression changed, becoming close to a scowl. "Remember my warning?"

Jaden slowly nodded, his eyes not leaving the Orc's as he tried not to show how intimidated he really was. "Yes, sir."

The Orc nodded, still giving Jaden his warning stare as he released the book.

Jaden turned to a seat at a table in the corner of the room. It was fairly isolated, so he was unlikely to be disturbed. He placed the book on the table and read the title.

_The Night of Tears_

Flipping the cover open, Jaden began his research.

"So the Nords who lived in Saarthal found something buried there, but kept it hidden. The Elves found out about it and attacked, in hopes of gaining control of it." Jaden sighed as he finished the book.

"You sound like you don't approve." Came a recognizable voice.

Raising his head, Jaden saw Faralda standing a short distance away, her golden eyes watching him with interest.

"What do you mean?" Jaden asked her, one eye half closed in question.

Faralda shrugged. "I'm just curious as to why an elf like you wouldn't approve of elves taking from men."

A dark fury began to enter the Dunmer's eyes. "What do you mean 'an elf like me'?"

The tall Altmer folded her arms and tilted her head to the side. "Some elves believe themselves to be superior to others. They believe that they deserve to dominate the other races by birthright."

The fury that had been building in Jaden's eyes flashed and he shot to his feet. "I know what you are thinking, Instructor." He seethed, using the title in an attempt to control his anger. "Yes, many elves believe that it is their divine-given right to hold power over others. But I am not like them and never will be."

"What makes you say that?" Faralda asked, not responding to his outburst in the slightest. "You are a Dunmer, after all, and if what Tolfdir tells me is true, you are a very skilled mage."

"Yes, I am an elf." Jaden practically spat. "But before that, I am Jaden Relix. I am a person, not a race. I make my own decisions and I don't care what elven supremacists have to say about it."

A small smile appeared on Faralda's face. "You sound so much like your Grandfather."

Jaden froze, his fury at the Altmer's questions lessening. "My Grandfather?"

Faralda nodded. "You do. He was always talking about how every person is their own and that race holds no sway over character."

What little fury Jaden still possessed quickly vanished, replaced with curiosity. "You knew him?"

Faralda nodded again, her eyes looking up as she reminisced. "I met him when I was younger then you, in fact. He taught me a great deal about magic." The smile she wore faded slightly. "I was greatly saddened when he disappeared. He was a great mer."

Jaden sighed. "I never knew him. He was already gone when I was born."

The Altmer's smile returned. "I know he would be proud of your beliefs. That is why I want to give you this." She pulled a book from her robe-pouch and handed it to him. "Tolfdir tells me you are very skilled at Destruction magic and from what you've told me, you are a kind person. That is why I trust you with this."

Jaden accepted the book and gazed at the cover. "What is this?"

"I have been searching for powerful magic for years, Jaden." Faralda said as placed a finger on the cover. "This book contains the secrets of some of the most powerful spells you will ever find. I know you can decipher them and when you do, use them properly."

Jaden continued looking at the cover for a moment before raising his head to look Faralda in the eye. "I'm honored, Faralda. Thank you."

Hearing Jaden speak her name, Faralda smiled. "You are welcome, Jaden." As she turned to leave, she spoke again. "Ancano is looking for you. Don't let him see that book, and be careful what you tell him." With that said, the Altmer turned and left.

After the Altmer's departure, Jaden looked down at the book he had been given.

"_Power of the Elements?"_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Juliet carried the unconscious child out of the carriage as Gunjar led the horse back to the stable. The Dunmer quietly pushed the door of her homestead open and made her way inside. Carefully, she made her way to the room in the west wing, where she lay Runa down on the bed, the child still sleeping peacefully.

Sighing, Juliet left the room.

"Juliet?" came a voice from the upper level. Looking up, the Dunmer saw her steward looking down at her.

"Yes, its me, Illia." She called back quietly. "There's a girl sleeping in the west wing. If she wakes up while I'm gone, please take care of her until I return.

Illia nodded. "Oh course. Safe travels." The Imperial turned and disappeared from view.

With that taken care of, Juliet turned and left the manor, walking off into the forest. Hopefully, she wouldn't be gone too long and be back when Runa woke.

"Looky, looky fellas." Came an accented voice from ahead of her. A heavily built Nord emerged from behind a tree. Four more men appeared behind her as surrounded circled her.

"What's a pretty little Dunmer like you doing out here?" The Nord asked as he drew closer, his hands occupied by an Orcish Warhammer.

Juliet folded her arms. "Just out for a walk and now I believe I will be going home."

"Not happening, girly." The Nord said, a sinister smile on his face. "Now, the boys and I are going to have a little fun you, then we're going to slit your throat."

As the Nord had been talking, an Orc had approached the Dunmer from behind intent of grabbing her.

This proved to be a grand mistake as the Dunmer spun, stabbing her black blade into the Orc's heart. The Orc was quickly followed by the other three men as Juliet slashed and stabbed them as they approached.

With the bandits behind her dead, Juliet turned her attention to the Nord in front of her. As he swung his war hammer, Juilet quickly stabbed her blade into his shoulder and, almost faster than the eye could follow, smashed a hand around his neck.

The man's scream died in his throat as Juilet squeezed. She released her blade with one hand and slowly pulled her mask down, revealing her face.

"I'm lucky I ran into you, bandit." She said softly as panic began to rise in the Nord's eyes. This grew even more when she smiled, revealing her pointed teeth. "I was getting quite thirsty." She buried her fangs in the man's neck.


	5. Chapter 5

Jaden was heading back to his room, his new book safely tucked away in his robe pouch. He was passing through the courtyard when he was held up.

"You there! I have questions for you." Came the voice of the Collage's Thalmor representative.

Jaden turned to see Ancano approaching from the far side of courtyard. The Dunmer felt his expression harden. In his experience, Thalmor were not to be trusted, under any circumstance.

"Yes? What do you need?" Jaden said, not bothering to look at the agent and appearing to examine the statue in the center of the yard.

Ancano approached until he was within arm's reach of the young Dunmer.

"Look at me when I speak to you, boy!" He spat.

Jaden chose to ignore the command, instead continuing to examine the statue. "What do you want?" he repeated.

The Thalmor's glare was so fierce that Jaden could feel it digging into the side of his head as he continued. "It has come to my attention that you were the one to find the object in Saarthal, correct?"

Jaden still did not look Ancano as he responded. "I might have."

Ancano's hand grabbed the Dunmer's shoulder and spun him to meet his eye. Gold eyes burned into red as the Thalmor sneered. "Do not play coy with me, Dunmer."

Jaden folded his arms and stepped back slightly, his face attempting to remain expressionless. "Why does this matter to you?"

"As Adviser to the Arch-Mage, it is my job to know everything that happens here." Ancano didn't seem pleased with answering the Dunmer's question. "Now, I expect you to inform me of any relevant information you uncover. Am I understood?"

Jaden's face twisted with anger. "We don't always get what we expect, Thalmor." He practically spat the words in Ancano's face. He didn't wait for the older elf's response, he broke the Thalmor's grip and entered the Hall of Attainment.

Deciding to spend some time practicing his spells, he reached the staircase and ascended to the roof.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that he was not alone.

Brelyna stood in the center of the roof, inside the seal that was carved into the stonework. A small orb of purple light spun slowly in her hand as she focused her magic. As the Dunmer flicked her wrist, she cast her spell.

With a flash of purple light, Brelyna's Flame Atronach materialized, it's flaming body hovering several inches above the ground.

"Well casted." Jaden said as he approached his fellow apprentice.

Brelyna turned and smiled. "Oh, Jaden. Didn't see you there."

"Sorry about that. I meant what I said, though. That was a well casted spell." He turned to regard the Flame Atronach, which performed a mid-air summersault.

Brelyna blushed slightly at the complement, her hand rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, I'm studying Conjuration, so I get the most practice with it."

Jaden nodded. "Conjuration is very useful. I'm not so great at it, to be perfectly honest."

"Really?" Brelyna exaggerated a gasp. "The great Jaden Relix can't do something?"

"I never said I couldn't do it." Jaden said, faking a defensive tone. "I said I'm not great at it. I can only summon one Daedra."

"Really?" Brelyna tilted her head and folding her arms, but the smirk never leaving her face. "Show me."

Sighing, Jaden began to summon his magic, the purple orb forming in his hand. "Come, Barry."

With a flash of purple light, Jaden summoned his follower. The familiar form was instantly recognizable. The constantly shifting stone body held together with arcs of electricity and storm clouds.

"A Storm Atronach?" Brelyna asked, unsurprised.

Jaden nodded, a small smile on his face as he took in his summoned Daedra. "Barry here's been mine for almost three years now."

"Barry?" Brelyna turned to him, confused.

"That's what I call him." The Dragonborn said as Barry's body shifted.

"Why?"

Jaden shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time." He turned to watch Brelyna's Atronach flip again. "I've always been good with Shock spells, so Barry was easy to summon and bind." He looking at the ground, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

This did not go unnoticed by Brelyna. "Jaden, is something wrong?"

Jaden sighed and folded his arms. "I just had a rather uncomfortable conversation with Ancano." He practically spat the name.

Brelyna nodded. "I can understand that. I don't like the way he looks at me."

That caught Jaden's attention. His eye locked with her as he spoke. "What do you mean 'the way he looks at you'? Has he done something?"

Brelyna started. "No, nothing like that. I don't know if he's expecting me to blow myself up or try to murder him. I do know he doesn't trust any of us at least."

"Good. Good." Jaden said, calming himself. A moment of awkward silence passed before he decided to change the subject. "What do you think of orb from Saarthal?"

"It's incredible." She said, glad for the silence to end. "If what Tolfdir said is true, you made an important discovery."

"Me? Tolfdir was there too. He deserves just as much credit." Jaden started, shocked that Brelyna was giving him all the credit.

"But you were the one who found the tunnel it was buried behind, Jaden." Brelyna insisted. "Why aren't you taking credit for this? You KNOW that you've earned it."

Jaden sighed irritably and folded his arms as he turned away. "I'm starting to regret finding that tunnel, if what my research says is true."

"Really?" Brelyna sounded shocked. "What did you find?"

Jaden told her. "If what the book was true, then this ….thing…. could have been the cause of the Night of Tears and what drove the Falmer underground." He sighed again and his dropped to the point it was almost inaudible. "This could be what destroyed their race."

Brelyna nodded in understanding. "If that's true, we should be very careful with the Eye."

"The Eye?"

Brelyna shook her head and let out a breath. "That's what the Arch-Mage and Tolfdir have been calling it. The Eye of Magnus. They've been examining it ever since they were able to move it into the Hall of the Elements."

"Really?" Jaden asked as his fellow apprentice nodded. "Let's go take a look then."

The pair left the roof and entered the Collage, finding the Eye levitating the in the center of the room, under the supervision of Tolfdir.

"And here's the founder of our most recent discovery." Came the proud voice of the old Nord.

"Why does everyone keep saying I found the thing?" Jaden asked as the orb continued to rotate. "All I did was find the tunnel."

"And finding that tunnel led to this discovery, my boy." Tolfdir smiled as he spoke. "Credit must be given where it is due."

Jaden sighed as Brelyna looked at him, smirking. "Told you."

"Now" Tolfdir continued turning back to the Eye. "Would the two of you care to assist in my examination?"

"Of course, sir." Jaden said as Brelyna nodded.

The pair approached the orb as Jaden began. "Starting with the obvious, it levitates, rotates and hums."

"It's covered in green panels, blocking some unknown core." Brelyna continued.

"The panels are covered in symbols, but they do not appear to be Elven, and they also don't look like Dwarvern runes, at least not any that have shown up in my research."

"They also don't seem to be Ayleid, either." Brelyna finished.

"Excellent, Excellent." Tolfdir said proudly as he listened to his students. "The two of you seem to work well together."

Jaden felt his face begin to heat up at the comment and from the redness on Brelyna's face, she was equally embarrassed.

"Now." Tolfdir said, turning back to the orb. "A currior recently delivered some letters to the Collage. They are waiting in your dorms."

"Doesn't this take priority?" Jaden asked, confused.

"We have many experienced mages looking into this, my boy. You can take an evening to yourselves." Tolfdir waved them off. "And I do believe that Faralda gave you have some research to do on your own, my boy."

Jaden nodded. "Alright, sir."

The Dunmer left their teacher and returned to their dorms.

Sitting on Jaden's desk were three rolls of parchment, all sealed with wax. Sitting down, he grabbed the closest and pulled it open.

_Dear Jaden_

_I hope you get this letter, bud. We have a lot to talk about. _

_I feel that I should warn you. Ulfric and his Stormcloaks are looking for us. They want us to join their rebellion. But, apparently, they are under the impression that we are Nords and feel as 'oppressed' as they apparently do. I don't know how they will react if they found us. I know you can handle yourself, but please, be careful. You're my only brother, you know. _

_Oh, and I did it again. While I was working, I found another little girl in a bad situation. Her name's Runa and she's staying on my Falkreath estate now._

_I'm going to be in Winterhold on the 21__st__ of Frostfall. I hope we can meet up at the Frozen Hearth for a drink._

_Your loving sister_

_Jewels_

Jaden smiled as he set the letter aside. It was the 20th already, so Jewels would be in town tomorrow. He would never admit it, but he was looking forward to seeing his sister. He turned to the second letter and pulled it open. It was slightly shorter, but none the less welcome.

_Hey Jaden_

_Hopefully you'll actually get this message. Tracking you down is pain in the ass._

_You might have heard some rumors. A Breton going around making a name for himself as a mercenary. Well, most of them are true. I've been getting more contracts then I can handle recently. I've had to turn many of them away, there are just too many for me to handle. Well, I just got a massive contract from some group of mages. Find what happened to some researchers in a dwarvern ruin. The money they're paying me is great. Even the advance is enough to buy that house in Markarth. _

_I hope you're doing well. Alduin isn't going to kill himself, you know._

_Well, I hope to see you soon._

_Your Ebony-clad best friend_

_Cyrus_

Jaden's smile didn't fade. Cyrus had been his best friend since they had been five. He still remembered how he had felt when he and Jewels had left Cyrodiil and Cyrus had come with them. He had fought with them when they faced their first dragon.

He was with them when they had fought Alduin before.

Jaden hoped he would see him again soon.

He turned his attention to the final parchment. He broke the seal with ease and began reading. He froze instantly when he saw the hand writing.

_Jaden_

_I know you are at the Collage of Winterhold. I also know that you are aware of your sister's current location._

_Jaden, it is time you put an end to this nonsense and come back to Cyrodiil. Whatever slight you think I caused you have a responsibility to your family and it is time you started living up to it. I simply do not understand why you would leave your home just to spite me for encouraging you to live up to your potential. You've thrown away everything I provided for just so you can go gallivanting around like some barbarian. I know that Breton had something to do with it._

_I demand that you and your sister return home immediately. This has gone on long enough._

_Tidril Relix_

Jaden sat frozen, feeling the anger at his father's demands. He had thought leaving Cyrodiil without speaking to him would have been enough, but it seemed that he had to send a clearer message. Pulling his inkwell, parchment and quill from his desk he wrote his reply.

_Lord Tidril_

_I thought I had made my intentions clear when my sister, myself and Cyrus left, but apparently you still don't understand. I did not leave just to spite you. You forced me to bend to your will for most of my childhood and that made me absolutely miserable._

_No more._

_I am not coming home. I am not going to tell Jewels you wrote me._

_I am sending this letter, and you're never going to hear from me again._

_Jaden Relix_

Jaden exhaled strongly as he removed his quill. With careful movements, he capped his inkwell and slipped it back into his desk. The Dunmer carefully cut the parchment and looked at his letter. After taking in his writing one last time, he rolled it up and applied a wax seal, ready to send it.

Hopefully, this time his father would understand the message.

Jaden stood grabbed his coat. He was going into town to hire a currier.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Runa slowly swam back in consciousness. The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling above her head. Carefully, she sat up.

She was sitting on a large, double bed. The room was large, with a double door set to her right. The room was lit by goat horn fixtures set into the walls. On the far side of the room was a pair of single beds, both of them with identical blankets.

The young Nord slid off the bed and walked to the door. With a careful push, Runa opened the door. She was shocked by what she found on the other side.

The doorway led into a massive room. A pair of staircases led up to a balcony that circled around the room. An intricate chandelier of goat horns lit the room from above with smaller brackets fitted around the room.

"So, your awake." Came an unfamiliar voice.

Spinning, Runa saw a hooded woman sitting in what looked like a very comfortable chair as she closed a book and raised her head to look Runa in the eye.

She was an Imperial, wearing a dark blue, hooded robe. Standing, she walked over so she was only a few feet away from the Nord.

"W-who are you?" Runa asked, slightly intimidated by the woman.

"I am Illia. I believe you know Juliet?" the Imperial responded.

Runa nodded slightly.

"Do you know what a steward is?" Illia asked gently.

When Runa shook her head, Illia continued. "I look after the estate while Juliet is not here." She gave a small smile. "Might I ask your name?"

"I-I'm Runa."

Illia nodded, still smiling. "That's a pretty name. Lucia and Sissel will be very happy to meet you."

"Who are they?" Runa asked.

"They're like you. Children Juliet found and took in." Illia smiled and turned away. "She's always had a soft spot for children in need."

"Do you know where Juliet is?" Runa asked, following Illia as she walked away.

"No. She disappears sometimes. But she always comes back." The Imperial turned back to look at the Nord. "She told me to look after you. Lucy and Sissel should wake up soon anyway. Runa, do you want to meet them?"

Smiling, Runa nodded. "Yes please."


	6. Chapter 6

Jaden woke late the next morning, having spent most of the night reading _The Power of the Elements_. He had been shocked with what he had found inside. If the book was right, then the three spells inside were truly powerful. They used Magicka in a way that he had never even considered before, and used more of it than any other spells he had even heard of. Now he could see why Faralda told him not to let Ancano see this book. Jaden shuddered when he thought about what the Thalmor would do with these spells.

Standing, the Dunmer stretched as he pulled on his robes and exited the Hall of Attainment, heading into town. Hopefully, Jewels would be waiting when he got into town. He crossed the bridge carefully. He might die during battle with the firstborn of Akatosh, but slipping and falling off a bridge was just insulting.

He exchanged a nod with J'zargo as they passed each other and entered what was left of Winterhold's capital. He was grateful for his hood, as it was snowing quite heavily.

"Damned Greyskin." He heard a guard mutter as he passed. Jaden knew he shouldn't have expected anything else. Winterhold was a Stormcloak city after all.

Pushing the wooden door aside, he entered the Frozen Hearth.

Taking a seat at the bar, Jaden ordered a mug of mead, handing the bartender a few coins as he accepted it.

"Good day, brother."

Jaden jumped slightly, but quickly recovered as Juliet seemed to appear in the seat beside him. She already had a bottle in hand and took a relaxed drink. She could have been seated there for hours from her body language. Jaden hadn't even heard her approach.

"Hello, sis." Jaden responded, smiling as he took a drink of mead.

They talked back and forth, neither asking anything of importance until it came to recent events.

"So what's this I hear about the Collage poking around Saarthal?" Juliet asked as she ordered another drink.

"The Collage organized an excavation for research into the ancient Nords." Jaden responded, glad that he was able to tell his sister. "I'm having mixed feelings about what we found, though." He finished with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" the older Dunmer met her sibling's eye, burning orange searching blood red.

Jaden shook his head as he began speaking again. He told his sister everything, the tunnel he had found, the warning from the Psijic monk and the findings he had uncovered in the _Night of Tears._

Juliet nodded as her brother lowered his head. "I can see why you would be worried. Anything that caused that much bloodshed is just trouble waiting to happen." She turned away for a moment before deciding to change the subject. "Bud, while you were in Saarthal, did you happen to find anything else?"

"Like what?" Jaden asked, unfazed by his sister's use of his nickname.

Juliet met his eye again. "I found something a couple weeks ago. Something that had to do with Saarthal. Did you find any mention of the name Jyrik?" She sounded hopeful.

Her brother nodded. "Yeah, I did actually." He slipped a hand into his robe pouch and pulled out the amulet he had found. "I found this and an old note. It sounded like this Jyrik guy was dangerous."

Juliet's attention was stolen immediately, her eyes on the amulet fragment. "Jaden, I think I know what to do with that."

"You do?"

She nodded. "I found an old legend. Apparently, three sons murdered their Arch-mage father and stole his amulet, then broke it into three fragments."

Jaden's eye returned to the amulet in his hand. "So this?"

"Is one of those fragments." Juliet finished. "I've already found the other two and I know where to go to reforge the amulet." She smiled. "What do you say, little brother? Up for another adventure?"

Jaden shook his head after a moment of thought as he handed his sister the fragment. "Sorry sis. I need to stay here. I can't leave this….thing here alone. Especially if that Thalmor gets any ideas."

"Thalmor?" Juliet asked worriedly as she tucked the amulet away.

"There's a Thalmor at the Collage." Jaden answered. "He says he's there as an advisor to the Arch-mage, but I don't trust him. And it appears the feelings are mutual, to both me and Brelyna."

Juliet's expression changed from concerned to confusion. "Who's Brelyna?"

"She's another apprentice at the Collage. She's my friend." Jaden clarified.

"…you have a friend?" Juliet sounded dubious.

"Yes." Jaden said, confused.

"I don't believe you." Juliet said, taking another drink of wine.

"Why not?" Jaden said, spinning on his stool to meet his sister's eye. "I'm allowed to have a social life, aren't I?"

"Bud, I've known you since you were born, and the only friend I know you have is Cyrus. You've never been big on other people." Juliet shrugged as she continued drinking.

"Well, Brelyna's different. I like talking to her and…" he trailed off.

"And what?" Juliet asked, lowering her wine to look at her brother in confusion.

"..She can relate to me." Jaden muttered. "About dad."

Juliet listened as her brother told her about his friend, not pressing for details. Just letting him say what he was comfortable saying.

"So you've found someone who shares your pain, brother?" she said, only half-jokingly.

"Yeah…" Jaden sighed again.

Juliet nodded. She was an older sister, however. And that meant she had to prod her brother just a little more. "You make her sound like more than just a friend."

Jaden spun, his face turning red. "What do you mean?" his voice was quite testy.

His sister only smiled and continued drinking. "Well, you said you had a lot in common and from what you've told me, you seem to trust her quite a bit."

Jaden sighed and avoided his sister's eye. "Jewels, I admit it. She's been very kind to me since I came to the Collage and she's…attractive."

Juliet's smirk didn't fade. "Have you spent much time with her?"

"We've talked a bit. We've traveled together once as well." Jaden responded.

"Do you like her?" Juliet asked, her full attention being given to her only sibling.

Jaden was silent for a time. When he did respond, his voice was quiet and his eyes were focused on the wooden bar in front of him. "I do, sis. I really do."

"Well? Ask her out for a drink." The other Dunmer responded immediately. She smirked as Jaden recoiled.

"Just ask her to go for a drink? Just like that?" Jaden asked incredulously.

"Bud" Juliet said after taking another swig of wine. "what's the worst that could happen? So she says no. You move on as friends and don't dwell on it."

Jaden nodded, still not lifting his head. "When you put it like that, it does sound rather simple."

"Jaden, we have to stop Alduin. We might get hurt, or even die soon." She shook her head. "You are one of the only two people on Nirn that is capable of defeating that monster, but you can't even ask a girl on a date?"

"I'm Dragonborn. That doesn't automatically make me a social butterfly." Jaden defended, slightly unnerved by his sister's bluntness. He rotated his mug in his hand as he thought. "Do you think she'd be…open to the idea?"

Juliet shrugged. "Jaden, you won't know till you ask Brelyna."

"Ask me what?"

Jaden paled slightly as he instantly recognized the voice. Juliet must have noticed, as her smirk grew. Slowly, he turned to see Brelyna standing behind him, curiosity evident on her face.

"Brelyan?" Jaden stammered out as his fellow apprentice met his eye. "How long have you been here?"

"I just came in, actually." She responded, giving Juliet a look Jaden couldn't identify. "Who's your friend?"

Before Jaden could responded, Juliet stood and turned to the newcomer. "I'm Juliet, or Jewels depending on who's addressing me. I'm Jaden's sister." She offered a hand.

Brelyna smiled and accepted the hand. "Brelyna Maryon." Her smile fell slightly. "Your brother hasn't really mentioned you."

"I bet he hasn't." Juliet nodded, understanding how her brother thought. "Well, I must be off now. I have business to attend to." She turned back to the bar, threw a small bag of coins to the bartender and left, giving the other Dunmer a wave as she slipped through the door.

"She seems nice." Brelyna said to fill the silence that followed as she turned back to Jaden.

"She usually is." Jaden nodded, glad that she had spoken first. "Just don't be near her when she loses her temper. She's mean when she's angry."

"I bet she is." Brelyna chuckled to herself as she took the now vacant seat and ordered herself some wine. "What did you want to ask me, anyway?"

The blush on Jaden's ash-grey skin grew to noticeable brightness. "Well…Brelyna, I was….h-hoping you m-might…" As a child, Jaden had quite a stutter. It had taken years to get rid of, but whenever he was embarrassed, it reasserted itself with a passion, much to the Dunmer's disdain as he attempted to force it away. "...have a d-drink with me?"

The other Dunmer's face erupted in pink, but she nodded and remained seated.

The pair talked back and forth, none of the topics particularly important and none lasting longer than a few sentences, with awkward silences common before Jaden finally sighed.

"I'm sorry this is awkward." He said, trying not to flinch at his own words. "I've….never done this before."

"Neither have I." Brelyna responded, glad the latest aw

"I can understand that." Jaden visibly relaxed now that the conversation didn't seem to be ending. "I generally don't talk to people if I can avoid it." Deciding to make another attempt at small-talk, he asked another question. "So how did you come to the Collage?"

"You can thank my parents for that." Brelyna responded. "I think they reserved a position here for me the day I was born." The young conjuror met Jaden's eye. "What about you? I haven't seen many other Dunmer in Skyrim."

Jaden shrugged. "Well, you know I left Cyrodiil when I was eighteen. Jewels, Cyrus and I.." He told her the long story about how he had come to Skyrim, until he had arrived at the Collage.

"Really? You helped the guardsmen kill that dragon?" Brelyna asked, astonished.

Jaden shrugged. "I think it was more them helping me and my friends. It seemed particularly angry at my sister and I. Practically ignored the rest of the guards trying to kill us."

"Why would it do that?"

_Well, you see Brelyna, I am one of the only two people in Tamriel capable of defeating the Firstborn of Akatosh and prevent him from devouring the world._

"I have no idea." Jaden lied. "Maybe it though Dunmer would be tastier then Nords."

"Very funny." Brelyna chuckled as she lightly pushed his shoulder before pushing her seat back and standing. "Well, we should get back to the Collage. I have some spells to practice."

"Of course." Jaden said, nodding. He pulled a small coin purse from his belt and handed it to the bartender before joining his friend as she walked to the door.

The walked in silence as the crossed the bridge, trying to ignore the cold as the sun began to drop and the normally cold wind grew even colder until they entered the Hall of Attainment.

"Jaden?" Brelyna turned to her friend as he closed the door behind them.

The Dragonborn turned to her, giving her his full attention.

"I was hoping you would help me with my practice. I need someone to test a few spells on." Upon seeing his startled expression, she hastily added. "Nothing dangerous, of course!"

Jaden considered for a moment before nodding. "I trust you. Where do you want me to stand?"

"Thank the divines. For a moment I thought I was going to have to ask J'zargo. Right there is fine." Brelyna said with a smile. "Now don't move at all. This shouldn't hurt." An orb of swirling purple light flashed in her hand for an instant as she cast the spell.

Something changed immediately for Jaden. His vision had shifted to bright colors and bleeding light for an instant before changing to a green tint.

Jaden was puzzled by this and judging by Brelyna's expression, so was she.

"Oh, divines." She cursed gently as she took in her friend's appearance. "Are-are you alright? You look very…..green."

"Is my skin green? I can't tell." Jaden said, not fazed by this development in the slightest.

"It is." Brelyna said apologetically. "You don't seem to be too bothered."

Jaden smiled and shrugged. "Occupational hazard."

Belyna smiled and looked like she was about to add something, when a very unwelcome voice cut in.

"I fear I must intrude." Ancano said as he marched into the Dorm rooms. While he didn't say anything regarding Jaden's appearance, the smug look in his eye told the Dragonborn his current condition did not go unnoticed. "I need Mr. Relix to come with me at once."

Jaden didn't even turn to look at him. He might have tried to avoid the Thalmor as a rule, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy annoying them. "What do you want?" He asked, with no apparent interest in the answer.

The Dunmer didn't have to look at Ancano to know he wasn't taking the lack of respect well. "Don't you know to respect your superiors, boy?!" the Altmer snapped.

"No. I give respect to people who earn it. You have not. Now, what do you want?" Jaden answered, still not looking at him and keeping his gaze locked on Brelyna, who while attempting to keep her face neutral, seemed shocked that Jaden was willing to provoke the Thalmor agent.

"What I want" Ancano said, trying to not let his temper get the better of him. "is to know why a man claiming to be from the Psijic Order is in the Arch-mage's quarter's at this moment and, more importantly, asking to see you, specifically."

Brelyna gasped. "One of the Psijics? Here?"

"This is none of your concern, girl." Ancano spat, sparking Jaden's anger. "Why this would be this heretic's concern is much more troubling."

"What makes you think I'm a heretic, Thalmor?" Jaden stepped to the side, putting himself between the offended Brelyna and the Thalmor ambassador. While Jaden's voice was calm, his eye blazed as he glared at Ancano.

Ancano sneered down at the shorter Mer. "The Relix family are all heretics. Your Grandfather especially."

"My grandfather saved the world, and you Thalmor tried to take credit for it." Jaden spat through his teeth. He pushed past Ancano without another word and stormed towards the Hall of the Elements.

Using the stairwell beside the entrance, the Dunmer entered the Arch-mage's quarters, feeling his anger at Ancano slowly begin to dissolve as he saw the robed figure talking to the Arch-mage.

"Ah, here he is now." Savos said with a smile as Jaden approached. As the younger elf drew nearer, the Arch-mage noticed his current complexion. "Is something wrong Jaden? Your skin.."

"It's nothing sir." Jaden insisted. "Unforeseen side-effects of an untested spell."

Savos appeared to accept this and turned back to the monk.

Jaden's vision shifted once again, until he was seeing things with a purple tint instead of the previous green.

"Now, we can talk." The monk said as Jaden noticed that the Arch-mage had frozen.

"This stopping time thing's becoming a bit of a bad habit." The Dunmer said as he tried not to get a headache from the strange tint in his eyes.

"I've merely given us the chance to speak privately. Unfortunately, I can't do this for long, so we must be brief." The monk responded, though Jaden was sure he could see a smile under his hood.

"Right, so I'm guessing this is about the Eye." Jaden said as he folded his arms.

"You are correct. This object, the Eye of Magnus as your people have been calling it, is very powerful. The world is not ready for it. If it remains here, it will be misused." The monk spoke firmly, but gently.

"Alright. So what can I do?" Jaden said, knowing where this conversation was going.

"I can only offer you direction. I've overstepped the boundaries of my order merely coming here and I must take my leave. Seek out the Augur of Dunlain. He will be able to tell you more." The monk instructed.

"Where can I find him?" Jaden asked, preparing himself for the inevitable.

This time the monk took considerably longer to respond. "I-I am unsure." He admitted, looking slightly embarrassed. "Ask one of your instructors. They will most likely know. Now, I must leave you, but know the Order is watching."

With that, time became unfrozen once more.

Jaden turned away from the monk and made for the staircase, but paused when he heard Ancano's acusations of the monk as he made to leave. He smiled to himself. In his eyes, anyone who could annoy the Thalmor agent was worth listening to.

Following the monks instructions, Jaden asked Savos about the Augur, which sent him to Tolfdir, who told him about the Midden.

Jaden stepped off the ladder, sighing as he breathed the stale air of the underground. The place was cold and ill-lit, something a swift Candlelight spell made short work of. As he summoned his spell, he was grateful when his vision shifted once more, this time back to normal, untinged vision. Looking at his hand, he saw his skin had returned to it's normal colour as well.

He moved slowly and carefully, dealing with the Undead and Ice Wraiths that apparently decided that the Midden would be their new home, all of which met swift ends on bolts of lightning.

As he descended another staircase towards a door, a deep, almost moaning voice called to him from beyond it.

"Your efforts will only lead to disappointment."

Jaden froze for a moment, but he needed to find the Augur, so he continued down the staircase.

"Still you persist?" There was a short pause before the voice continued. "Very well. You may enter."

The door swung open, revealing the room beyond. In the center, a strange arrangement of spiraling blue light flickered prettily through the air.

"Let me guess, you are the Augur of Dunlain?" Jaden said. This was a fairly safe assumption. Who else would be down here and able to speak.

"I am that, which you have been seeking." The voice stated, originating from somewhere in the light. "Your efforts are in vain. It has already begun. But those who have sent you have not told you what they seek. What you seek."

"And what is it am I seeking?" Jaden said, his tone trying to contain his annoyance. He really hated being talked to in riddles. The Dunmer folded his arms and tried not to tap his foot impatiently.

"You seek that which all who wield magic seek. Knowledge. You shall find this: Knowledge will corrupt. It will destroy. It will consume. You seek meaning, shelter in Knowledge. You will not find it. The Thalmor sought the same thing, and it shall lead to his end as it has so many others."

Jaden froze. The only Thalmor who could have gotten here was…. "Ancano has come here?"

"It is as you say. He sought information about the Eye of Magnus, though different questions. His path will destroy him, as it has so many others. But you? You are different. You are being guided. It is a good path, one untraveled by most. This path could save you College."

If had more information about the Eye, Jaden needed to work fast. If it was as powerful as the book made it out to be, Jaden shuddered to think what the Thalmor would do with it. "What do I do?"

"To see through Magnus's Eye without being blinded, you require his Staff. Now go, and bring this knowledge to your Arch-mage."

Not wasting a moment, Jaden turned and made his way back to the ladder before exiting the Midden.

He found Savos waiting at the top of the ladder.

"Well, Jaden. I suppose you've been to see the Augur." The older elf said, turned to look at the sinking sun.

"I have, sir." Jaden said, remembering the exasperated tone the Arch-mage had used when he asked about it.

"Somehow I knew you wouldn't let that go." Savos sighed. "What have you learned?"

"We need to find the Staff of Magnus." Jaden said, eager to get started. "It's connected to the Eye."

"The Staff of Magnus, you say?" Savos asked, putting a fist to his chin. "I remember Mirabelle mentioning it earlier. You might ask her about it."

"I will sir." Jaden was about to bring up Ancano and the Augur's warning, but decided against it. It would be his word against the Altmer's, as Jaden was only an apprentice, while the Arch-mage's advisor was bound to have some believable lie ready.

A brief question session with Mirabelle informed Jaden that the Synod had been at the Collage not long ago, asking about the staff. If the Dunmer was lucky, he could catch them in Mzulft before they left.

Slipping back into his room, Jaden began packing his bag for the next day. He wanted to leave at once, but a large yawn quickly removed that plan. He would leave in the morning, after a goodnight sleep.

"Jaden?" Came a familiar voice. Turning, Jaden was greeted with the sight of Brelyna standing at his door. "Nice to see my spell wore off." She said, smiling.

"Hey, Brelyna." He said, returning the smile. "Did you need something?"

"The Arch-mage told me what you're doing." Brelyna said as she stepped into the room. "You're going to Mzulft tomorrow?"

"I am." Jaden told her. An idea began to form in his mind. "Brelyna, while I'm gone, I need you to watch Ancano." He told her about the Augur's warning. "I think he's up to something."

"I would…but…" Brelyna blushed slightly as she toyed with her fingers, her ruby eyes looking down uncertainly. "I was hoping I could come with you. I hear Dwarvern ruins are dangerous."

"Understatement of the year." Jaden smirked, but that quickly faded. "Brelyna, I need you here. Someone needs to watch Ancano. I can't leave him here with the Eye unsupervised."

"I believe I can help with that." Came another voice.

Faralda stepping into the room, her eyes fixed on the two apprentices. Brelyna flinched as the Altmer approached.

"Faralda! What a supprise! How can we help you?" The female Dunmer stammered out.

"Relax, Mrs. Maryon." Faralda said gently. "I heard what Mr. Relix here said and I agree. Ancano can't be left unaccounted for. I'll watch him while the two of you are gone."

"Really?!" Brelyna gasped. "Thank you."

"Of course." Faralda smiled softly. "If you want to get the Mzulft at a decent hour tomorrow, you should get an early start. Good luck, you two." The Altmer instructor left the room, casting a quick glance at Jaden before the door closed.

Jaden smiled. "Well, that works as well." He turned to his fellow apprentice. "She is right. We should get some sleep."

Nodding, Brelyna left the room, looking forward to the coming day. However, as she slipped into her bed for the evening, something Jaden had said earlier that day slipped into her mind and refused her a quiet rest.

What had Jaden meant when he said his Grandfather had saved the world?

**A/N: I know I skim over a lot, but I'm trying to focus on Character interaction and important information, not the redundant running around the game makes you do.**


	7. Chapter 7

The pair of Dunmer woke early, as was their plan and made their preparations for the trip to Mzulft. After gathering their equipment and supplies, Jaden and Brelyna made their way into town and towards the local carriage driver, trying to ignore the still dark sky.

Noticing their approach, the Nord straightened in his seat and spoke. "I can take you to any of the Hold capitals."

"Only the capitals?" Brelyna asked as she adjusted her quiver.

The carriage driver nodded. "That's the service I provide."

Jaden sighed loudly. If they could only get a ride to a Hold capital, then the closest they could get was…. "Two people to Windhelm."

The tall Nord nodded. "Forty gold."

After paying the driver, the Dunmer climbed into the carriage. With a flick of the reins, the carriage began to journey south, to Jaden's increasing trepidation.

Jaden was hoping to never have to go back to that city after his last visit. The local Nords had been less than welcoming to a Dunmer. Add the fact that Jaden was also a mage, they clearly wanted him out of their city. Now, it might be even more dangerous than before, with Ulfric looking for the Dragonborn. However, he had one advantage in this situation.

Ulfric was convinced that the Dragonborn was a Nord. He would never even be considering the possibility that a Dunmer could be the great Nordic legend. As long as the Dunmer didn't draw attention to himself, he should be able to slip by unnoticed. The Dunmer had no wish to correct the Jarl on his mistake.

He must have been lost in his own thoughts for quite a while. When a cough from Brelyna brought her companion back to the real world, the sun was now visible as it rose over the mountain and Winterhold had disappeared into the distance.

"Jaden, is something wrong?" Brelyna asked, concerned.

Jaden sighed before he responded. "I really hate Windhelm."

Brelyna's face twisted in confusion. "I've never been there. Why do you hate it?"

"You're lucky. It's not a very welcoming place." Jaden said, trying to prevent emotion from creeping into his voice.

"What do you mean? I know it's the Stormcloak Capital, I don't know how bad it really is." The Conjurer kept her hands folded in her lap as she waited for Jaden to elaborate.

"It's bad, Brelyna." Jaden sat hunched over, his hands clasped in front of him. "Last time I was there, a Nord drunk wobbled into the Gray Quarter, the district where the Dunmer are forced to live. I was leaving the Cornerclub at the time and was about to get back on the road. I turned a corner to find this disgusting pig had cornered Dralsa. She tended the bar at the Cornerclub sometimes. She had come in for the night shift when this….animal" the Dragonborn practically spat the word "slammed her against a stone wall. I heard what he was saying. 'Skyrim was for the Nords' and that Dunmer have no place in the province."

Brelyna's eyes widened as Jaden continued.

"Before I could get close enough to stop him, he pulled a dagger and stabbed her in the stomach, just as a pair of guardsmen came around the corner." He released a shaky breath. "I can still hear her scream sometimes."

Brelyna gasped, horrified at Jaden's story. "At least the lunatic was arrested."

"He wasn't." Jaden's blood red eyes seemed to burn with anger as he continued. "The guards didn't even question the man. They stopped, saw that the woman was a Dunmer, gave the man a nod, and continued on their way. They didn't even report what happened." The Dragonborn's entire body tensed. "It was a miracle I was able to heal Dralsa before she bled to death. The Nord didn't like that very much. He came at me with the knife and would have killed me if I hadn't disarmed him." Jaden's voice was filtered through clenched teeth. "I regret doing that to this day."

"You regret disarming him?" Brelyna asked carefully, not wanting to infuriate her friend further.

"I should have killed him." Jaden said simply.

The pair returned to silence as the carriage drew closer to the border of Eastmarch. It was several hours before Brelyna's curiosity got the better of her.

"Jaden, can I ask you something?"

"Of course." The other Dunmer responded, his anger having drained.

"You told Ancano that your grandfather had saved the world." Brelyna folded her hands into her lap as she continued. "What did you mean by that?"

Jaden smiled slightly and relaxed, resting both arms on the edge of the carriage behind him. "Brelyna, how much do you know about the Relix family?"

"Nothing, besides what you've told me. Should I?" Brelyna asked, growing more and more confused.

"How much do you know about the final battle of the Oblivion Crisis?" The Dragonborn pressed on.

Brelyna put her fist to her chin, thinking back to the history lessons she had been given. "Mehrunes Dagon had finally been able to enter Tamriel, as the Dragonfires had not been lit in time. He launched a massive invasion of the Imperial city, hoping to kill Martin, the last Septim." She looked glanced at Jaden, who gestured for her to continue. "During the battle, Martin had rushing into the Temple of the One, but they say that his most trusted friend, the Hero of Kvatch, stayed behind to distract Dagon while Martin's mentor and bodyguard followed him into the temple."

"Keep going." Jaden said, a small smile on his face.

"This Hero of Kvatch is written as a peerless mage, his magic powerful enough to hold back Dagon until Martin was able to shatter the Amulet of Kings, sending the Daedric Prince back to Oblivion and sealing the Oblivion Gates forever. Afterword, the Hero of Kvatch was named Champion of Cyrodiil."

"And do you know what the Hero of Kvatch's name was?" Jaden asked, his smile growing bigger.

Brelyna froze. Suddenly, she understood why Jaden got her to tell this story.

"His name was Baradas Relix." Jaden said, his smile growing even larger from the expression on Brelyna's face. He gestured towards his staff as he added. "My staff used to belong to him, actually."

"Your grandfather was the Champion of Cyrodiil? The Mer who battled the Daedric Prince of Destruction, alone?" Brelyna stammered out, still trying to comprehend what she had just been told.

"He was." Jaden nodded. "I might never have met him, but he was my grandfather."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Brelyna asked. As a child she had always been curious about the Daedra-defying hero, so she was disappointed when Jaden shook his head.

"My father told me he vanished through some kind of gate. Beyond that, I have no idea."

Brelyna's silence lasted until the carriage ground to a halt outside the Windhelm stables.

Jaden stepped out of the carriage before offering a hand to Brelyna, who accepted with a smile. "You really are a gentleman, aren't you?"

"I try." Jaden said as he helped Brelyna step down. He turned to look at the city, and sighed loudly. "We should be careful here. You know what the local Nords are like."

Brelyna nodded and followed Jaden as he began to cross the bridge.

Jaden's sense of dread grew with each step he took towards the city. He was hoping they would get to Candlehearth Hall and secure rooms for the evening with little difficulty, but knowing this city, something was bound to go wrong.

A sound on the wind quickly proved his point.

It was quiet, almost inseparable from the wind roaring around the mountains, so Jaden ignored it at first. But when he heard it clearer, he froze instantly, much to Brelyna's confusion.

"Jaden, is something wrong?"

Jaden didn't respond. The sound had become distinctly louder and easier to hear. It sounded like a roar, coming from above and behind them. The only animal that could roar that loud from that high was…

"Brelyna, get into the city." Jaden said turning around to face the source of the noise. Now he could clearly see a dark speck above, growing larger and closer by the moment.

"Jaden, what-"

"I mean it! Go!" Jaden interrupted her. His tone allowed for no argument as he drew his staff. He didn't turn away until he saw her run towards the city gate.

The Dragonborn turned his attention back to the rapidly enlarging speck, which had now taken on a distinct shape. A large body, flanked by a set of massive wings with a thick tail. It was close enough to see it's bronze coloured scales.

The ground shook slightly as the Revered Dragon slammed to the ground, it's emerald eyes locked on the Dunmer who stood before it, summoning the power of his staff.

"_Dovahkiin." _The Revered Dragon's voice reverberated from it's beak-like mouth.

Jaden didn't respond, but he prepared another spell in his free hand as his staff sparked with magic.

"_Dii in uth hin dinok." _**(My master commands your death.)**

"Because he is too much of a coward to face me himself." Jaden responded, not giving any ground.

A throaty chuckle was his response from the beast. "_Hi los kril, Joor."_ **(You are brave, mortal.) **

"I'd say defeating Alduin once warrants a little bravado." Jaden smirked slightly.

"_Krilaan fen ni sav hi, Dovahkiin." _**(Bravery will not save you, Dragonborn.) **The beast lurched it's head back slightly as it breathed deep. _"Yol-"_

Jaden thrust his hand forward, summoning his ward.

"_-TOR SHUL!" _The dragon shouted, flames pouring from its mouth. The flames shot forward until they collided with Jaden's ward, sliding off the solidified magicka.

As the shout ended, Jaden launched a counter-attack, a bolt of lightning from his staff into the dragon's still open mouth. With a slightly pained growl, the massive beast spread it's wings and took to the air once more, turning towards the west before beginning to circle back.

Jaden took this opportunity to run off the bridge and back onto solid ground as he fired another bolt of lightning at the circling creature, missing as it twisted to the side.

Gritting his teeth, Jaden conjured a purple ball of magic in his palm and with a flick of his wrist, summoned Barry to his side. The Storm Atronach immediately began levitating to the left, lightning crackling between it's hands.

The dragon didn't seem to notice the Atronach's presence. It continued to glide towards the Dunmer, flames pouring from it's jaws.

Jaden threw himself behind the base of the bridge, the stone shielding him from the fire quite effectively. He heard a sound rather like a conjuration spell being cast or dismissed, but assumed that Barry had been caught in the blast and killed, it's essence returning to Oblivion.

After the Dragon had passed overhead, Jaden pulled himself out of his position, preparing more lightning spells before launching them at his target.

These spells were quickly joined by a small barrage of firebolts. Spinning, Jaden saw the source.

Brelyna was running towards him from the bridge, her Flame Atronach gliding behind her as it threw another firebolt at the returning dragon.

The other Dunmer stopped beside the Dragonborn as they continued firing their spells at the Dragon, the beast closing the distance. However, most of these spells sailed harmlessly around the Dragon as it twisted and turned sharply.

The dragon's voice was heard loud and clear as it recited another shout.

"_Gaan….LAH HAAS!"_

The Dunmer dove to the side as the Drain Vitality shout shot towards, impacting the ground they had been standing mere moments before.

"It's too fast. Our spells can't hit it!" Brelyna exclaimed as the Dragon sailed overhead, panic becoming evident in her voice.

"Brelyna, what are you doing? I told you to run!" Jaden's voice was more concerned than angry.

"And leave you fighting a dragon alone?" Brelyna shot back, her panic vanishing, replaced with a slight anger at the words.

Jaden was still for a moment, but then nodded. "Alright. We fight together."

Brelyna watched as the dragon circled around a cliff, building speed. "It's too fast in the air. We need to get it to land."

Again, Jaden nodded. He stepped out of their meager cover, much to Brelyna's surprise.

"Jaden, what are you doing?!"

The Dragonborn turned to meet her eye, a small smirk on his face. "This might be a bit of a shock." He turned back towards the dragon as it stopped circling and dove towards him, it's jaws agape as it roared.

Taking a deep breath, he felt power build in this throat.

* * *

Atop the gatehouse, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak watched the scene with morbid fascination. This was a good opportunity for him to learn how dragon's fought. Even better, he wouldn't have to throw away Nord lives for the experience.

The pair of Dunmer were clearly outmatched by the beast. After all, if this dragon was capable of destroying a village, manned by Nord guardsmen, what chance did a pair of Witch Elves stand.

"Jarl Uflric, shouldn't we assist them?" One of his assembled guards asked, fondling his sword hilt.

"No." Ulfric said responded. "Watch the dragon and learn it's movements. Those Greyskins are wounding the beast, but we must be ready when it turns to the city."

"But my Jarl, that beast will kill them."

The Jarl didn't even turn to look at his subordinate. "Their Greyskins. They don't belong in Skyrim. The beast is welcome to them."

The guard looked like he was about add something, when he was silenced by something not even the Jarl was expecting.

* * *

"_JOOR ZAH FRUL!" _The Dragonrend shout exploded from Jaden's lips. A flickering orb of glowing blue light shot forward, smashing into the targeted dragon.

With a roar, the Dragon lost altitude as if it's wings had become as heavy as lead. It smashed into the ground, it's speed carrying it forward. A trench was dug into the ground as the beast slid, coming to rest not far from where Jaden stood.

The mages wasted no time as the beast attempted to recover. Bolts of fire and lightning poured from their hands onto the downed dragon. It's struggles grew less and less powerful as the spells took their toll.

With it's final effort, the Revered dragon opened it's jaws, but before it could summon it's Thu'um, Jaden had already unleashed a barrage of Sparks into it's gaping maw.

With a final roar, resembling a moan of despair, the dragon fell to the ground, and lay still.

Jaden released a breath, waiting for what was sure to come next.

Moments later, his anticipation was proven correct.

"Jaden, what's happening?" Brelyna asked as the dragon's scales began to flake off, being pulled into the air as if by some great and powerful force.

Jaden didn't respond. He braced himself as energy surged into his body. He gripped his forehead with one hand, his eyes squeezed shut as he absorbed the dragon's soul. The familiar feeling of nausea came and went, before he finally felt normal once more as he stood before the dragon's skeleton.

Releasing a deep breath, Jaden turned to his traveling companion, whose eyes were wide in shock.

"So…the stories are true." Brelyna said slowly after a pause. "You can shout…and you absorbed a dragon's soul."

"You're Dragonborn." It wasn't a question.

Jaden sighed, it was pointless to attempt to deny it, when the evidence was piled up in front of her. "I am." He face was angled downwards, obscured by his hood.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Brelyna demanded, indignation clear in her voice.

Jaden slowly raised his head, his expression giving Brelyna pause. He almost appeared saddened by her question.

"Brelyna, I didn't tell you because I don't want to be known as 'The Dragonborn.' Especially not to you." He mentally slapped himself as the words left his mouth. 'Not to my friends.' Is what he had meant to say.

A bright blush slowly spread across Brelyna's face. "Not to me?"

Jaden was about to respond when a deep and very unwelcome voice cut him off.

"Hail, Dragonborn!" Ulfric Stormcloak called from the bridge

Trepidation surged through Jaden's body as he sighed. He turned to address the Jarl, Brelyna stepping up beside him.

"Jarl Ulfric." Jaden answered, his face hard and barely containing his distain.


	8. Chapter 8

Ulfric was trying to hide his shock as he approached the Dunmer, eyes locked on the Mer, who moments ago had both demonstrated a mastery of the Thu'um and been able to absorb a dragon's soul. The evidence was quickly piling up and he was forced to admit it.

The Jarl had been wrong.

This Dunmer was Dragonborn.

This was unnatural. This was a crime against the gods themselves, for Talo's sake! There was no possibility that this Greyskin had been born with Dragon's blood. Yet, here he stood, in front of the skeleton of a freshly killed dragon, none the less.

'This doesn't have to change anything.' The Jarl told himself as he halted. 'This….abomination could still prove useful. Surly I can make an exception for the Dragonborn.'

"Well met, Dragonborn." The Jarl said, his face calm. "I thank you for defending my city and people." As much as the words burned his tongue, the Jarl needed to appeal to Jaden.

"Someone had to." Jaden said calmly, but Ulfric caught the quick flash of anger that surged across his eyes. "I didn't see any of your guards rushing to help when Brelyna and I were fighting."

"I must apologize." Ulfric said, trying to keep his expression neutral and voice calm. "My guardsmen were slow to rally."

"Of course they were." Jaden said through his teeth, his fist clenching involuntarily.

Brelyna noticed her friend's tense state and moved slightly closer, taking his hand in hers.

This action did not go unnoticed by the Jarl, but given Jaden's expression, he made the wise decision not to comment on it.

"Might I know the name of my city's savior?" he inquired.

"Jaden. Jaden Relix. And my companion is Brelyna Maryon, of house Telvanni." The Dragonborn responded, retaining his professional tone.

'Not good.' The Jarl frowned slightly as he turned to look over the Dunmer who stood on the Dragonborn's right. 'He's maintaining distance.' Were he to have any hope of convincing Jaden to join his cause, the Jarl would need to appeal to him on a personal level.

"Well, Jaden" He said, hoping that using his first name would help bridge that gap. "I must invite you back to my Palace. We have much to discuss."

"You haven't earned the right to use my given name." Jaden said coldly before he gestured to the Jarl's guards. "As to your invitation, it's not as if I can refuse, with your guards fondling their weapons."

"Very well." Ulfric nodded, trying not to let his dismay at Jaden's reply show on his face. He turned stiffly, along with his guards and led them back towards the city.

Jaden sighed as he watched them leave. He was about to move and follow at a distance, but something stopped him. Physically.

"Brelyna." Jaden said as his face began to grow hot. "Can I have my hand back?"

Brelyna started at the sound of his voice. "Oh! Sorry!" She quickly released her grip, but her body remained tense.

"Brelyna, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She responded very quickly, still. "It's just..."

Jaden sighed. "If you don't want to come with me to the Palace, it's fine. You can wait at Candlehearth Hall. I don't think this will take too long."

"No. I'll come." A weak smile crossed her face. "Someone needs to keep you out of trouble."

"Yes, mother." Jaden smirked as the pair began walking across the bridge, through the city before arriving at the massive doors to the Palace of the Kings.

"Let's get this over with." Jaden said with a sigh.

The Dunmer pushed the door open. He was very surprised by how light the door actually was. Considering it's size it should have taken more effort to move the thing.

Ulfric was seated in his throne, slouching casually as the Dunmer approached.

"Welcome, Dragonborn." He began his rehearsed speech. "I have asked you here-"

"Save it, Stormcloak." Jaden snapped. Everyone present started at the Dragonborn's tone, Brelyna especially. "I already know why you asked me here. You want me to join your army."

Ulfric was startled by the Dunmer's words. Few were brave enough to openly disrespect him, but he recovered quickly. "I will not deny, that is one reason I asked you here. You are truly powerful and with you-"

"Didn't I just tell you to save it?" Jaden cut the Jarl off, folding his arms. "I will never fight for you."

"But surly you will listen to what I offer you?" Ulfric asked hurriedly. While he was calm outside, he was quickly growing enraged at the Dunmer's insolence.

"No." Jaden responded, his face cold and unforgiving. "You force my people to live in the slums of your city, and don't spare a second thought when they are abused or even murdered." Jaden's anger was beginning to move past a quiet burn and into a blazing inferno. "You practically use the Argonians for slave labour on your docks while the Khajiit are shunned for the stereotypes that your people put on them. You say you have honor, Ulfric Stormcloak, but you still abused the power of the Voice to murder the High King in your attempt to seize power for yourself." The Dunmer's voice began to quake as he spoke, trying to contain his growing rage. "You care for nothing but Nords and your own influence, but you still have the GALL to ask for my help?! You might have sold your honor for your ambitions, but I have not, and never will." The Dragonborn turned on his heel and stormed through the Palace door, Brelyna following in a hurry. "This meeting is over." Jaden spat without even looking at the stunned Jarl.

The entire encounter had taken less than ten minutes.

"Jaden, that was incredibly foolish!" Brelyna exclaimed when she had caught up to her companion who was now quickly walking towards the inn. The conjuror felt the need to talk to her friend at the moment. She had never seen him that angry before.

"How so? He won't take actions against me." Jaden stretched his arms behind him before holding the door to Candlehearth Hall open for Brelyna, his anger slowly fading.

"How can you be so sure?" The Conjuror asked, her eyes wide from Jaden's lack of concern.

"He needs me to stop Alduin." Jaden said, shaking his head and sighing.

"Stop who?"

"Oh, right, you don't know. Well Brelyna…" The Dragonborn told her the full story of his current mission as they sat at the bar.

"So he needs you and your sister to stop the World-Eater, so you don't think he'll try anything?" Brelyna's voice was calmer, but still held some concern.

"I know he won't. Not yet, at least. Stormcloak is a hateful bastard, for sure. But he believes the legends at least. He knows we're Skyrim's only hope." Jaden's head lowered to his drink, knowing what would come even if he was able to defeat Alduin.

Ulfric would declare him an enemy of the Stormcloaks, of course. His foolish pride wouldn't allow him to do anything less. Once the World-Eater was no longer a threat, Jaden had no doubt that the hateful dictator of Eastmarch would come for him.

But as long as he was needed, he was safe. After the deed was done, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Well, we should call it a night if we want to leave early tomorrow." The Dragonborn said casually as he slipped the bartender a few coins.

"Of course." Brelyna responded, blushing slightly. "Um…Jaden?"

"Yeah?"

"Well…you said it yourself this city isn't safe for Dunmer. So I was hoping…"

"Brelyna, just tell me what's bothering you." Jaden said, exasperatedly. He would normally never speak to his friend in such a manner, but the recent events had mounted his frustration.

"Can we share a room?" She asked, her blush growing until it covered her entire face.

Jaden gave her a confused look before nodding. "Of course."

"Thank you….."

The pair climbed the creaking stairs entered the room they had rented. Sighing, Brelyna sat down on the bed, setting her pack down beside her.

"Thanks for staying with me tonight, Jaden." She said as she yawned softly.

"It's fine, Brelyna." Jaden responded, sighing. "I never went anywhere alone in this city anyway."

Brelyna nodded, a small smile on her face as she lay back on the bed. Before long, she was sound asleep.

Jaden took a seat on the floor, his back against the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him. It wouldn't be the most comfortable sleep, but if it made Brelyna more comfortable, it was worth it. He sent his sleeping companion a small smile. She was a special friend to him.

He took a good look at Brelyna for the first time. Before, he had thought she was merely attractive, but now realized that was not the case.

Unlike most Dunmer, her skin wasn't grey at all. It was closer to an azure, almost blue tone. Her face was, for lack of a better word, perfect and he knew that under the closed eyelids were a pair of stunning ruby eyes.

Brelyna wasn't just attractive. She was the most beautiful Dunmer he had ever met. On top of that, she was kind, dedicated, worrisome and so much more.

Taking one last look at his sleeping companion, Jaden closed his eyes and slipped into a peaceful sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So this is a Dwemer ruin." Brelyna said as the pair came to the entrance of Mzulft. "I've never seen one before."

"They're impressive, I'll give them that." Jaden responded, amused by Brelyna's enthusiasm. The pair had left Windhelm early in the morning, neither wanting to spend a moment longer than necessary. Several hours of traveling later and they had arrived at their destination.

This enthusiasm quickly vanished as the pair approached the open doors, to be greeted with the sight of a dead body.

It was a man, an Imperial from the look of him. He wore a set of blue robes common for mages as he slumped against the wall beside another open door. Sticking out from his stomach were several arrow shafts along with one that lay discarded on the floor beside him.

"Damn." Jaden muttered as he knelt next to the body. "Looks like the Synod are still here." He picked up the arrow that was resting next to body as Brelyna approached the open door.

"Jaden, the key's still in the lock." Her concern was evident. "Maybe the same person that killed that mage…"

"Not likely." The Dragonborn handed the arrow to her. "What do you make of this?"

Brelyna examined the arrow. It wasn't made of wood, like normal arrows. This one was made some kind of chitin, with a crude head, split into two with barely any feathers attached at the base of the shaft. An arrow that poorly made could only have come from one race.

"Falmer."They said in unison.

"But somethings not adding up here." Brelyna stated, folding her arms and dropping the arrow. "Why would Falmer need to unlock the door? They never come to the surface."

"Good question." Jaden replied before sighing and shaking his head. "Standing here won't get us any answers. We came here to find the Synod."

Brelyna nodded, but before they could begin down the passage, she paused, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"Jaden, do you hear that?"

Jaden stopped and listened. It was a quiet, irregular banging, like metal colliding with metal. As the pair continued walking, the sounds grew louder and they began to pass wreckage in the familiar shapes of Dwarvern machines, some releasing thin columns of black smoke.

This continued until they reached the top of an inclined passage, and found the source.

Standing in the center of the room, Ebony sword in hand, was an armoured figure, encased head to toe in Ebony armour. Moving extremely quickly for such heavy armour, he flipped his blade, gripping it backhand before using it to spear through the Dwarvern Spider that had leaped at him, pining it to the floor. Sparks flew from the Spider's inner workings as gears ground to a halt.

As the figure withdrew his blade, Jaden took the initiative and approached, Brelyna standing behind him, bow in hand and arrow notched.

"Hello." Jaden began. At the sound of the Dragonborn's voice, the figure spun, bringing his shield up to cover his body with the flat of his blade resting on the top, the point aimed at the Dunmer's throat.

This hostility, however, vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Jaden?" The armoured man asked as he lowered his shield slightly.

The Dunmer recognized the voice immediately. "Cyrus?"

This response was exactly what the armoured man had been waiting for, he lowered his shield and sheathed his sword, causing Brelyna to lower her bow as Jaden stepped forward.

The Dunmer offered a hand, arm held in front of him at an angle, which the Breton returned, before pulling the Dunmer into a brotherly embrace for a moment.

"Jaden?" Brelyna said, feeling a little out of the loop. "Introductions?"

Jaden nodded. "Brelyna, this is my old friend, Cyrus. Cyrus, this is Brelyna, another of the apprentices at the College."

Cyrus nodded and offered Brelyna a hand, which she accepted and shook.

"What brings College mages here?" Cyrus asked, casting a quick glance at a passage behind him.

"We came here for the Synod." Brleyna answered. "We were told they might be here."

"Well, if my employer is correct, they're still are." Cyrus responded, stretching his shoulders. "Did you get my letter?"

Jaden nodded.

"This is the big job I told you about." The Breton continued. "Apparently, the researchers here stopped reporting to the council and they wanted me to find out why." Shaking his head, Cyrus sighed. "My guess is, Falmer hive, judging from the corpse out front."

"We saw it too." Jaden looked back at the corridor he and Brelyna had entered from. "Must have been shot before he could escape."

"Of course." Cyrus nodded. "Well, if we want to find any survivors, we should get moving."

"Of course." Jaden said with a smile, glad to be adventuring with his best friend again.

The small group carefully began to make their way into the ruin, weapons and spells ready for trouble.

As they reached the end of another hall, Jaden was walking a short distance behind Brelyna, with Cyrus staying in front of them both.

This allowed him to hear the distinct click of a pressure plate being triggered. Suddenly on high alert, the Dragonborn quickly noticed the small elevation that Brelyna was standing on, as well as the holes that were arranged in neat rows on the ceiling.

Obeying an instinct too powerful to be denied, Jaden threw himself forward, colliding with his friend and carrying them both forward as long metal spears shot out of the ceiling, reaching almost to the floor where the pair had been standing moments before.

"Ugh." Jaden slowly rolled onto his back. "I really hate Dwarven ruins." Brelyna did the same from right next to him.

"And apparently the feeling's mutual." Cyrus said as he stepped towards his fallen companions. The Dunmer could practically feel his smirk as he offered them his arms and hoisted them to their feet, their combined weight not much of a burden to the muscular Breton.

"Thanks." Brelyna nodded to her companions before her gaze dropped to the floor, her face twisted with guilt. "Both of you."

"Not a problem." Cyrus assured her before he turned and began back to the passage, completely oblivious to Brelyna's expression.

"Well, no point standing here." Jaden said with a shrug before beginning to follow his friend.

"Jaden, wait." Brelyna flinched slightly when her friend turned to meet her eye again. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention and you almost got-"

"Brelyna, it's fine." Jaden cut her off, his voice firm but gentle.

"No, it isn't!" Brelyna cried, tears threatening to fall. "I messed up and we both-" She stopped at that point, when Jaden seized her shoulders firmly, locking eyes with her.

"It's fine, Brelyna." Jaden said, not breaking eye-contact.

A fierce blush began to creep across the conjuror's cheeks. "Jaden…I..."

"Oi, Lovebirds!" Cyrus's voice cut through the narrow corridor like an arrow. The Dunmer spun, both their face's turning red as the Breton looked back at them from the end of the next hall. "Remember what we're here for? Finding the Synod? Ring any bells?"

Jaden immediately speed-walked down the passage, his face still burning until he had caught up and matched pace with Cyrus. "Cyrus, what are you doing?"

"I was checking something." Was the reply he got from the Ebony-clad Breton.

"What were you checking?" Jaden asked, his sense of dread growing as he recognized his best friend's tone.

"Whether or not you and Brelyna are a thing." Cyrus said nonchalantly. "You clearly are."

"What are you talking about? We are not a thing! What gave you that idea?" Jaden stammered out hurriedly, his face reddening again to his friend's considerable amusement.

"Well, you pushing her out of that trap was my first clue." Cyrus retained his amused expression.

"She's my friend. I would have done the same for you." Jaden tried to keep his voice firm, but his current embarrassment made that next to impossible.

"You would." Cyrus conceded. "But I know how you think. It would have been easy to just yell a warning and run. It would have saved both of you and you wouldn't have ended up on the ground. Instead, it was almost as if you prioritized saving her over yourself."

"That's..." Jaden was desperately trying to think of a way counter the Breton's point.

"After that, you assuring her that it was nothing was a dead give-away that you like her." Cyrus rolled his eyes behind his helmet. "Every time I trigger a trap you don't shut up about it for hours."

"Okay, I get your point." Jaden sighed. He had been hoping that his attraction to Brelyna would go unnoticed, but apparently the world had other ideas.

"What are you boys talking about?" Brelyna asked as she caught with them.

Cyrus looked like he was about to say something, but Jaden's glare made him reconsider.

"Nothing important, Brelyna." Jaden assured her as smirked, his suspicions confirmed.

The trio continued through the ruin, alert to the abundant dangers.

After several small skirmishes with Dwarven machines and several small Falmer communities, the trio pushed through the ruin, continuing until they arrived in a large room, containing many Falmer, all of whom drew their weapons when they noticed the new arrivals.

Jaden didn't even bother using his staff, instead relying on his own magicka as he fired a duel-cast bolt of Chain Lightning into the advancing Famler. At this distance, the risk to his companions was low enough to risk doing so.

Several of the blind creatures fell to that alone, more being felled by a barrage of firebolts from Brelyna and her newly summoned Flame Atronach, until only their apparent leader remained standing.

Cyrus quickly changed that with a quick stab of his sword. As the Falmer died, something strange fell from it's armour. Confused, Cyrus picked up.

It was an irregular lump of green crystal, it's center surrounded by a ring of what appeared to be Dwarven metal. He continued examining it as he began following the Dunmer, who were climbing stairs towards a door.

"What do you think this is?" The Breton asked as he caught up with them, offering Brelyna the crystal.

Brelyna accepted with careful hands. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before." She examined it, just as Cyrus had done.

"Doors locked." Jaden sighed as he turned to his companions, noting the object in Brelyna's hand.

"Let me take a look." Cyrus stepped past his friend, knelt at the lock and pulled a pick from his pocket.

"You know how to pick a lock?" Brelyna asked, surprised that the armoured Breton knew such a skill.

Cyrus shrugged, a smirk hidden by his helmet. "Growing up as a street urchin has it's advantages." As he finished speaking, a quiet click was heard. With a slight push, the door swung open, revealing another passage and another door.

"….am I only one who finds this redundant?" Jaden asked no one in particular as he walked towards the next door.

"No, you're not." Brelyna responded as she gave the door a push, finding it locked.

A slightly muffled voice from the door caught all three of them off-guard, with Cyrus keeping a hand on his sword.

"Gavros? Is that you?" He didn't wait for a response before continuing. "I had almost lost hope! Let me get the door."

There was the distinct metal click of a key being turned in a lock before the door swung inwards, revealing a blue robed Imperial.

Apparently, two Dunmer and an armoured Breton were not what the Synod was anticipating, as he immediately began conjuring a pair of firebolts.

Cyrus responded by drawing his sword and raising his shield, ready to defend himself and his friends.

"Who are you?" The Synod demanded. "Where's Gavros?"

"If you mean the other Synod we found at the entrance, he's dead with a couple of Falmer arrows in his stomach." Cyrus responded carefully, his weapon not lowering at all.

"Damn them." The Synod appeared to accept this, his hands lowering slightly as flames flicked prettily in his palms. "Gavros was supposed to bring back the crystal. This project can't proceed without it!"

"Wait, do you mean this?" Brelyna showed him the crystal she still held.

"That…that's it! How in the world…" The Synod mage seemed very confused as he accepted the crystal from the Dunmer. He ran a hand across it's uneven surface for a moment before shooting more suspicious looks at the trio. "Who are you anyway?"

"Well, these two are mages from the College." Cyrus pointed a thumb at his companions. "And your Council hired me to find you."

"Winterhold, huh?" The Synod pouted and folded his arms. "Your Arch-mage wouldn't even grant us and audience when we came, but seeing as you saved brought me the crystal, I'm willing to overlook the past for now." With that, he turned and made his way down the passage, leading the trio inwards.

"How generous of him." Cyrus sighed, already taking a dislike to the Synod mage.

"Let's just help him, find the Staff, and be on our way." Jaden muttered to him as Brelyna nodded.

"What Staff?" Cyrus asked as they began to round the staircase, not paying attention to the Synod's ramblings.

"I'll give you the full version later. Basically, we need the Staff of Magnus to deal with an issue that is going to happen in Winterhold." Jaden told his friend, who was listening intently.

Cyrus shook his head with a sigh. "You always do find trouble don't you?"

"Not my fault. Damned dragon blood."

"Of course it isn't."

"If you two are done plotting" The Synod cut in, his eyes narrow "We can begin focusing the crystal to find whatever it is you're looking for." He gestured to the contraption at the top of the ramp. "Place the crystal there and we can begin. Just hit it with a flames or frostbite spell to make it contract or expand." His voice took on a smug edge. "There should be a copy of the tomes nearby if your education is even more lacking then I expect it is. One of you needs to operate the controls on the upper level, as well."

"At least Winterhold offers education instead of playing politics all the time." Jaden retorted. He had had enough of the Synod's misplaced pride as a child. He didn't need any more of their attitude. He took the crystal from Brelyna as she stepped up the ramp, Cyrus standing off to the side with a fist to his chin.

After inserting the crystal into the device, three beams of light began to shine onto the ceiling, where three rings, each adorned with a blue-green mirror rested.

"Okay, this seems pretty self-explanatory." Jaden said to himself as he summoned his magic.

Flames didn't seem to have any effect, so the Dunmer switched to Frostbite. The cold made the crystal shift, altering where the beams landed. Before long, the beams each lined up with one of the rings on the ceiling.

Brelyna took notice and began to push the buttons of the control panel, rotating the rings until the beams of light were shining directly into the mirrors.

From the device, another beam of light shot forward, this one growing wider as it projected something onto a nearby wall.

"This is it. All this time and effort and now it's all going to" The Synod mage cut himself of as took in the projection and the trio approached. "What is this? These readings aren't right at all."

Confused, the Dragonborn's group stepped closer. Being projected against the wall was what looked like a map of northern Tamriel, with two lights glowing blighting through it.

"This projection is supposed to be lit up like the night sky. Something is causing an incredible amount of interference." The Synod narrowed his eyes further. "Something in Winterhold it looks like." He spun, locking eyes with Jaden. "What are you planning? Is this some plot to disrupt my work?!"

"Calm down." Jaden told him, not having any patience for a Synod's delusions. "We haven't done anything. What's wrong?"

The Synod thrust a hand towards the machine. "This device was supposed to reveal locations of objects with great magical power, but now, only two locations of been revealed. One is your College. Now tell me what you've done!"

"Sir, please calm down." Brelyna attempted to mediate. "We haven't done anything."

"Well it must be something you're doing, unless…" The Synod thought to himself. "You have something there, don't you? Something the Council would be VERY interested in?"

"That's none of your business." Cyrus cut in before the Synod could begin acusing again. "We found you, so my job is done. Now, we just need to find the Staff of Magnus and we'll be on our way."

"Forget it. You'll never find it without my help." The Synod folded his arms and scowled, looking more like an angry child then a powerful mage.

"Actully" Jaden said, looking at the map. "It looks like the Staffs inside Labyrinthian." He turned to Cyrus. "Didn't we clear some Frost Trolls out of there a couple months ago?"

Cyrus nodded. "We did. Now let's get out of here. I've had enough of this place."

Nodding, the two Dunmer turned and exited to room, descending the ramp. Cyrus was about to follow before the Synod decided to open his mouth again.

"This isn't over, you hear me, Greyskins?! This isn't over!"

Cyrus paused at the top of the ramp. "Mr. Synod?"

The mage turned to him, his eyes narrow in fury.

Moving increadibly fast for someone encased in Ebony armour, Cyrus's arm shot to his waist, pulled an Elven dagger from his belt and flung it, not at the Synod, but at the machine.

The moonstone blade hit the focusing crystal dead on, causing it to shatter into a cascade of glittering blue-green shards, which fell from their housing and slipped between to gaps of the Dwarven machine, into the workings below.

The Synod fell to his knees at the sight of the destroyed crystal. Months of work and effort…destroyed in an instant.

"That was for disrespecting my friends." Cyrus's voice was icy as he stepped down the ramp, leaving the Synod mage alone.

The Breton rejoined Jaden and Brelyna at the bottom of the ramp.

"What kept you?" Jaden asked, as he had expected Cyrus to be right behind them.

Cyrus looked like he was about to respond, but a familiar tint took over the world at that moment, signalling the arrival of another Psijic vision.

"Well met, Dragonborn." The monk said as Jaden turned to meet his eye. It was the same monk that had appeared in Saarthal. "You have done well, but trying times are ahead. It is imperative that you return to your College immediately. You are on the right path, and you will prevail."

"You know, you could afford to not speak in riddles for once. It would make my job so much easier." Jaden responded, his frustrations with the Synod having dampened his mood somewhat.

The Monk didn't respond, but Jaden caught the smile he was trying to hide as the monk vanished and time restored to normal.

His companions looked at him, confused.

"Weren't you facing the other way a second ago?" Brelyna asked.

"I was, before the Psijic monk showed up again." He turned to his companions. "We need to get back to Winterhold, now."

Cyrus shook his head slightly. "I've got to let the Synod know the jobs done. I'll meet you there." The Breton turned and left through a freshly unbarred door.

Brelyna met Jaden's eye. "Lets go."


	9. Chapter 9

The trip back to the Winterhold was fairly uneventful. Brelyna spent most of the cart ride asleep, leaning against the side of the carriage, while Jaden was almost completely absorbed in _Power of the Elements._ He had grasped the theory behind one of the spells within. It was deceptively simple, now that he thought about it. He had been thrown by the amount of magicka the spells required, but the theory behind it wasn't very complex. It was just a matter of controlling how much magicka was released.

The Dragonborn roused Brelyna several minutes before the carriage lurched to halt in Winterhold. It was at that moment that they both realized that something wasn't right.

Nothing seemed to have changed about the capital in a physical sense, but just looking at the outline of the College filled the Dunmer with an unfamiliar sense of foreboding. It was if some great and powerful energy was warning them to stay away.

"Brelyna, can you feel that?" Jaden asked, slowing his stride as the pair reached the base of the bridge.

"Yeah…like a faint pressure on my face." Brelyna responded. "Let's get in there."

The Dunmer crossed the bridge, trying to supress the urge to run. At the top, they were greeted by the sight of a familiar Altmer.

"Jaden!" Faralda started when she noticed the Dragonborn's approach.

"Faralda, what's happening?"

"It's Ancano." The Destruction Instructor stated hurriedly, her distress very evident. "He's doing…something to the Eye. It's like he's tapped into it somehow."

Jaden's eyes almost bulged out their sockets. Ancano had control of the Eye of Magnus.

A THALMOR had control of the EYE OF MAGNUS!

All because the Dragonborn found that damned tunnel.

Jaden's fists clenched, small sparks jumping along his knuckles as his magicka responded to his rising anger.

"Jaden?" Brelyna's voice came from behind him, but he ignored it, instead breaking into a run towards the Hall of the Elements, pushing the door open to find the Arch-mage and Master Wizard waiting.

"Ah, Mr. Relix." Savos nodded to him. "I take it you know where to find the Staff?"

Jaden nodded as Brelyna entered the hall. "What's happening?"

Mirabelle gestured towards the entrance to the central chamber. "See for yourself. Ancano's sealed himself in the hall somehow."

She was correct. The entire doorway was filled with swirling green light.

"I saw this in Saarthal." Jaden told the other mages. "It's some type of Ward. Tolfdir was able to bring it down with a Sparks spell."

The Arch-mage gave Jaden a look of concern. He had no doubt about the Dunmer's advice, as Tolfdir had told him something similar in his report about the eye. Rather, he was concerned about the younger Elf's tone. It was a clipped voice, laced with genuine anger, something that the Arch-mage had never heard from him before. But given the current situation, the older Mer decided to ignore it for the time being.

"Alright then. We'll throw everything we have at it."

The four mage's present all fired sparks at once, the full force of the destruction spells impacting the Ward.

The magic shield gradually began to glow slightly less brightly, before vanishing altogether, allowing the party access.

Ancano stood near the center of the room, half crouching with both his hands held close together, duel-casting a Sparks spell onto the Eye. The orb seemed to be responding, as Ancano's eyes were wide with an almost insane glee, his body seeming to glow with magical power.

"Ancano! Stop this at once! I command you!" Savos demanded as he and Jaden stepped towards the Thalmor, spells prepared.

The Altmer slowly turned to look at them, still casting his spell on the Eye as a twisted grin broke out on his face.

"Don't go near him!" Mirabelle cried as Savos stepped closer, only to be consumed by a blast of green light.

Jaden felt something smash into his chest, throwing him backwards until his head made intimate contact with the stone wall behind him as his vision whited out.

The Dunmer moaned quietly as his vision slowly began to clear and he forced himself onto his hands and knees. Once he was sure that he wasn't going to fall over, the Dragonborn pushed himself to his feet and took in the surroundings.

Ancano's Ward was back, spinning in a smaller circle around the Thalmor and the Eye, but what caught Jaden's attention was the Dunmer sitting against the wall, head slouched with her chin against her chest.

"Brelyna!" Jaden was at her side in an instant, summoning a healing spell. An orb of golden light filled his palm, radiating it's light across the unconscious Conjuror, who slowly began to stir.

"Jaden?" She asked as she slowly opened her eyes. "What happened?"

"I don't know." The Dragonborn answered, sighing with relief. "Ancano's done….something. We need to stop him."

"Agreed." Interjected Mirabelle as she approached the two Dunmer, her arm clutched to her stomach.

"Mirabelle, are you alright?" Brelyna asked as the Master Wizard drew closer.

"I'm fine." The Breton insisted. "I just need a minute to catch my breath. Find the Arch-mage. He must have been blown clear."

"But what about you?" Jaden asked as the Breton flinched slightly.

"I'll be fine. Get out of here. Find Savos. Now." The Master Wizard didn't leave any room for argument.

The Dunmer left the Hall of the Elements at a run, only to freeze at what they found outside.

Laying in the courtyard, members of the College gathered around, was the splayed form of the Arch-mage.

Jaden didn't have to examine the body to know the older Dunmer was dead. His limbs were laying in awkward positions.

His head lay back against the stone floor, his sightless eyes looking up at the grey sky.

All because Jaden had found that damned tunnel in those ruins.

The Dragonborn's fists clenched as his entire body tensed. A great and furious energy build up inside him as Tolfdir approached.

"Jaden my boy, what's happened?" The old Nord asked hurriedly.

"It's Ancano. He's taken control of the Eye." Jaden responded, his voice twisted in fury and guilt.

"By the Nine. Did he do this?" Tolfdir's eyes widened. "The Arch-mage? Dead? And what is happening in Winterhold?"

Jaden's expression shot from anger to concerned confusion. "What do you mean? What's happening in Winterhold?"

"Something horrible." Faralda supplied as she jogged over. "We have to get down there, now!"

"Right." Jaden agreed as he and the Altmer ran for the bridge, Tolfdir and Brelyna following.

The sight that greeted them in the Capital was far from pleasant.

"What are those things?" Brelyna gasped.

Floating down the street and from alleyways, were what looked like floating orbs of magical energy, with tails similar to comets.

One of the magical anomalies floated towards a nearby fox, which began to glow with a strange light for an instant, before dissolving into ashes.

Farther down the street, a small group of guardsmen were pressed together, slashing at the orbs they came close, but with no effect. Their metal weapons just passed clean through with no damage done.

"We have to stop this." Jaden said as his face twisted in anger and sparks began to jump between his fingers.

The mages unleashed their spells from the ramp. Bolts of lightning, balls of fire and spikes of ice flew from their fingers towards the horde.

For a few moments, it seemed that the spells weren't having any measurable effect, until one of the orbs exploded with a rush of magic and wind, followed by another, then another as the spells found their marks.

The guardsmen took this opportunity to run away, sealing themselves inside the Jarl's Longhouse as the mages caught the anomalies attention.

A streak of black impacting one of the orbs turned Jaden's eye to a figure he hadn't seen before, perched on the room of the inn, bow drawn.

"Jewels!" He called to her as he sent another Lightning Bolt into a group of the anomalies.

With practiced ease, the other Dragonborn slid down the wooden support beam in the inn's roof, before jumping to the ground, rolling to absorb the impact as she fired another arrow.

"Hello, dear brother." Juliet smiled behind her mask as she reached for her quiver once more. "Enchanted weapons seem to have an effect on these things."

Jaden nodding, feeling more confident now that his sister was there with him.

A quick look at the far side of the city made him realize it wasn't just her.

Cyrus stood in the center of the street, his Ebony sword flashing red with enchantment as he shattered another orb.

After what felt like hours, the final Anomaly exploded, causing Jaden to sigh with relief.

"That's the last of them." Cyrus said as he jogged over, his sword remaining drawn.

"What are you two doing here?" Jaden asked as he felt his depleted magicka begin to restore.

"I said I'd meet you here." Cyrus said as he rolled his shoulders. "On top of that, after I got paid for Mzulft, some hooded guy showed up. Told me to get here as fast as I could and that you needed help."

"Same thing happened to me." Juliet nodded when Jaden turned to her. "I guess I was right to listen to him. What's happening, bud?"

Jaden sighed and shook his head. "I did this." His voice was filled with guilt.

Brelyna's eyes widened. "Jaden, how can you say that?"

"I found the damned Eye!" Jaden snapped, making Brelyna recoil. "I found the damned tunnel in Saarthal!"

"Jaden, none of this is your fault!" Brelyna grabbed his shoulders. "Ancano did this. HE killed the Arch-mage! HE'S abusing the Eye!"

"But…I…" Jaden still sounded conflicted.

Juliet sighed angrily, pulling her brother from Brelyna's grip. "Bud…" She said quietly as she drew he hand back. "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Her palm collided with Jaden's cheek hard enough to knock him to the ground, much to Brelyna's shock and Cyrus's amusement.

"This is NOT your fault!" Juliet's voice was so hard it could have cracked a walnut. "If you're so damned focused on blaming yourself, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Solve the problem and stop depressing yourself!"

Jaden was still for a moment, before he released a breath and stood, his earlier guilt vanishing. "We need to stop Ancano. Let's let Mirabelle know Winterhold is safe." The Dragonborn turned and ran up the ramp, leaving behind a smirking sister, a bewildered Conjuror and an amused Breton.

"But…you slapped him." Brelyna said, trying to understand what had just occurred.

Juliet shrugged. "Sometimes he just needs a good smack to get his head on straight."

"Can you feel the sibling love in the air?" Cyrus asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jaden through open the door's leading into the Hall of the Elements. Mirabelle was standing in the threshold of the room, her eyes fixed the swirling energy surrounding.

"Mirabelle." Jaden got the Breton woman's attention. "Winterhold is safe for now."

Mirabelle breathed a small sigh of relief. "I wish I could say the same for us." She gestured towards the shielded Thalmor. "We need some way of breaching that barrier if we're going to stop this madness. Let's hope your trip to Mzulf paid off."

Jaden nodded enthusiastically. He had almost forgotten why he had gone looking for the Synod in the first place. "We need the Staff of Magnus. Looks like I'm off the Labyrinthian."

"What? Labyrinthian?" Mirabelle started as Jaden nodded. "That can't be a coincidence."

"What do you mean?" Jaden asked as the Master Wizard closed her eyes in thought.

"The Arch-mage. He gave me something a short time ago. He said it was from Labyrinthian and that I'd know what to do with it when the time came." The Breton reached into her robe pouch and handed Jaden a slightly heavy object.

It was large stone ring, shaped like a door knocker.

"I think he meant this for you then. Jaden, this is our only chance." Mirabelle met the Dunmer's eye desperately. "Jaden, you need to go. Bring back that staff before Ancano brings the College down around him."

"Alright. I'm off." Jaden nodded before rushing out the door. He arrived back in Winterhold to see Faralda blast another Magical Anomaly with an expertly casted Thunderbolt before she and the others approached.

Tolfdir was the first to speak. "Jaden my boy, please tell me you know how to stop this madness?"

The old Nord had the correct description. Ancano's actions had placed Skyrim, if not all of Tamriel in danger. The Eye's power seemed to be spreading, swift gusts of wind carried snow and ice shards in a localized tornado, centered on the College.

"We need to find the Staff of Magnus. I know where it is and it's our only chance." Jaden sighed.

Brelyna smiled. "So, off we go to Labyrinthian?"

Jaden started. "Wait, 'we'?"

The apprentice Conjuror nodded, her red eyes filled with determination as she folded her arms. "Jaden, you're not losing me that easily. I'm coming whether you like it or not."

"Same for me." Cyrus rolling his shoulders as he continued. "Friends watch each other's backs."

"I'm coming too." Juliet stated, her eyes locked on her brother. "Dovahkiin need to stick together."

Jaden turned his head, slowly taking that these three were not going to back down before nodding slowly. "Alright. Let's get this staff and stop this."

Juliet nodded, before quickly straightening. "Oh, this makes much more sense now." Juliet turned and led the group towards the edge of town.

"What does?" Brelyna asked.

As the four of them rounded the corner, they were greeted with the sight of four horses tied to a frozen boulder.

"The hooded guy said I'd need these. Now I know why." Juliet told them as she mounted one of them, a black horse with, if you looked carefully, glowing red eyes and strange markings on it's flank.

Once everyone was mounted, they made their way through the mountain pass, heading west.


	10. Chapter 10

"Well, here we are." Cyrus muttered to himself as he slipped off his white horse, gripping it's reins as he led it towards a tree to snow covered tree to tie it up.

The Breton's words neatly encapsulated the group's feelings as they took in the ancient ruin.

The stonework might have been built centuries ago, but it still stood strong, despite the heavy layers of snow that were building up on it's arches.

Rusted metal cages hung at irregular intervals, creaking and twisting with every gust of wind.

The whole place seemed eerily silent, despite the howling wind as the group passed through the entrance to the ruin.

Jaden gripped his staff tightly as he kept alert for danger. He and Cyrus had slain the Frost Trolls that had inhabited this ancient city, but that had been months before. Who knew what kinds of creatures had taken refuge here in that time?

Those thoughts were at the forefront of Jaden's mind as the group approached a giant gateway. In the Dunmer's experience, if the gateway was that big, something dangerous was inside.

"Looks like that's the entrance." Jaden gestured to the door with is staff.

"Agreed." Cyrus nodded, his hand resting uneasily on his sword hilt.

Brelyna looked like she was about to add something, but another voice beat her too it.

"_Come on! We're finally here! Let's not waste any more time!"_

The voice was defiantly familiar, and when Jaden saw what had spoken, he relieved why.

Standing in front of the door, a semi-transparent blue figure was clearly visible. It appeared to be wearing generic blue mage's robes under an apprentice hood.

The two mages present recognized the face immediately.

"Arch-mage!" Brelyna called. She tried to run over to the figure, only for Jaden to grab her around the waist and pull her back.

"Brelyna, stay back. It's just an imprint." The Dragonborn told her, keeping his eyes locked on the figure.

Brelyna turned back to her friend, eyes wide. She was about to say something when another figure appeared, followed by another and another until five others had joined the younger Savos Aren.

"_Are we truly sure this is a good idea?" _Asked an Argonian mage as she appeared to examine her surroundings.

"_We'll be back at the College before anyone even knows we're gone." _Another of the imprints responded.

_"You would care about that, since you're the Arch-Mage's favorite!"_

_"Don't forget, this whole idea was Atmah's to begin with."_

_"Let's just get inside, see what's in there."_

As the imprint said those words, all six figures vanished, leaving no trace of what had just occurred.

"Jaden, do you know what that was about?" Brelyna asked as the Dragonborn released his grip on her.

"Those were magical imprints. I've read a bit about them." Jaden began, Juliet and Cyrus turning to listen as well. "Sometimes spirits don't make it to their afterlife. They get trapped, tied to a place that was connected to their life…or death."

"So Arch-mage Aren came here when he was still an apprentice?" Brelyna asked, things clicking in her head.

Jaden nodded. "Apparently so. But if he and the rest of those apprentices are bound to this place…." Jaden shuddered as he gripped his staff tighter. "Something horrible must have happened here."

"We don't have a choice." Cyrus gestured to the door. "We need that Staff to stop whatever's happening in Winterhold." The Breton bravely stepped closer to the door. "If that means traversing this ruin, so be it."

"Cyrus is right." Juliet nodded, joining her friend. "We need to do this."

Seeing his sister and best friend ready to move on gave Jaden the push he needed. He stepped forward and examined the door. He noticed a strange carving in the front of it, with a jagged piece missing. It was almost the perfect shape for….

The Dragonborn pulled the item Mirabelle had given him from his pouch, carefully inserting it into the door. With a quiet click, the metal ring locked in place.

Turning to his companions, Jaden's face told them what they already knew.

This was their last chance to back out.

No one moved.

The door opened slowly, revealing the room beyond. As the group entered the ruin, the imprints appeared again.

_"I can't believe we're doing this."_

_"Can you imagine the looks on their faces when we come back?"_

_"You keep talking like you're sure we'll find something useful in here."_

_"Given the history of this place, it's more than likely there's still some amount of power here."_

_"Enchanted weapons, tomes of ancient knowledge, Shalidor's secrets themselves - who knows what we could find!"_

_"And what if... What if there are things guarding this place?"_

_"Against six College-trained mages? I think we'll be fine."_

"Famous last words…" Juliet muttered, keeping her sword drawn and eyes locked on the passage on the far side of the room.

The imprints did nothing to alleviate the party's growing anxiety as they passed through the room, noting the bones that lay in almost complete skeletons, some still having bits of ancient cloth clinging to them.

Jaden shuddered involuntarily as the group made their way down a steep hill, towards another door. He had been in Nordic tombs many times, looking for new words of power or just to make some gold with Cyrus, but he had never been through one that filled him with this much trepidation. It was as if the very air were pressing in on him, telling him to run away and never return.

This feeling grew even more when the Dragonborn saw the sturdy iron gate baring access to the next room, a heavy lever serving as the gate.

The gate itself wasn't that much of an issue, as the Dunmer had grown used to these ancient mechanisms during his travels. The room beyond, however, was a very different story.

The large open room, lighting shining down from above, simply looked too inviting to not be trap. Could this be what the imprints were warning them about? Had something happened in the next room that killed the apprentices?

"Jaden?" Brelyna's voice snapped the Dunmer out of his thoughts.

"This next room looks like trouble." Jaden told her, his staff sparking.

"Agreed. It's too open to not be a trap." Cyrus nodded, drawing his word. He glanced to Juliet, who was closest to the lever. "Open the Gate. I'll check it out."

The older Dunmer nodded and gave the lever a firm pull, the gate rattling as it retracted. "Be careful, Cyrus."

Cyrus stepped through, Jaden moving to follow….

…only to jump back as the gate slammed back down, sealing the Breton inside the room.

"What happened?" Cyrus started, turning back to the gate and gripping his sword tighter.

"I don't know!" Jaden exclaimed. "The gate sealed itself.

"The levers stuck!" Juliet called to her companions as she attempted to push the ancient device back up, to no avail.

Peering through the bars, Jaden saw another lever on the far wall of the room. "Cyrus you need to get over there and-"

The Dragonborn was interrupted when Cyrus suddenly lurched forward, gripping the bars to support himself.

Reaching behind him, the Breton pulled an arrow from his armour, the once sharp head blunted from impacting the hard Ebony.

Cyrus immediately threw himself to the side as more arrows followed, bringing his shield up to cover most of his body as he peeked over it.

Emerging from their hiding places around the room, was a small army of Skeletons, their eyeless sockets filled with glowing blue light as they gripped their weapons.

The Breton wasn't overly concerned at this point. He had dealt with Skeletons dozens, if not hundreds, of times. As long as he was careful, he should be able to deal with them with little difficulty.

That was until a loud roar thundered through the halls as the ground at the far end of the room exploded outwards. From within an ancient mound, a long, skeletal limb pulled the familiar form of a dragon from it's burial mound.

Cyrus tensed, waiting for the skin, scales and wings to pour themselves onto the bones, until the dragon resembled the beasts that were becoming more and more common in Skyrim's skies.

Only…it didn't.

The beast remained skeletonized as it lurched forward, it's bones clacking together audibly.

Cyrus didn't know if that made it any less dangerous, but he didn't want to have to find out. He gave ground as the Skeletons pressed closer, holding his shield up as he blocked incoming arrows.

"Cyrus!" Brelyna called from behind the gate. She had noticed that the Breton was backing himself into a corner, with the undead moving closer to box him in. The Dunmer turned to the Dragonborn on her right. "We need to help him."

Jaden nodded. "We might not be able to get in there, but we can still help." As he spoke, a purple ball of magic materialized in his hand. The Dragonborn thrust said hand through the bars. "Barry!"

With a _Whoosh _of magic and a sphere of purple light, the familiar form of Barry the Shock Atronach materialized. The Atronach immediately began peppering the Skeletal archers will lightning as it levitated to the side. This was quickly followed by Brelyna summoning her Flame Atronach, which glided along with Barry, flinging firebolts at the undead horde.

Several of the archer's simply fell apart under the force of the Atronach's spells, causing several to peel away from the crowd, intend on banishing the summoned creatures.

The majority, however, were continuing to press towards Cyrus, who now had his back against the corner, his shield still held in front of him as a pair of Skeletons lifted their heavy great-swords, bringing them down on the black metal again and again.

The Breton's arm shuddered under the impact as he absorbed another blow. Cyrus threw his blade down, spearing in into the soft dirt beside him as he braced his shield with his other arm.

'Alright then, Cyrus.' The cornered Breton thought to himself as he absorbed another impact. 'Time to see if this works.' He summoned the magicka he knew he had, shaping it into the spell he wanted to cast. A small orb of fire materialized in his palm.

The Skeletons closest to him didn't have time to escape as the Breton released his spell.

Jaden, Juliet and Brelyna could only watch, shocked as Breton who had moments before been pressed against the corner burst into flame, incinerating the nearby Skeletons.

Cyrus recovered his sword and sprinted closer to the undead, who still hadn't grasped the concept of self-preservation. They charged the Breton, only to be burned to ashes by his Flame Cloak or smashed apart by his sword as the Atronachs continued barraging them from a distance.

Not even the Skeletal Dragon itself could withstand the Breton's attack. A few moments after coming into contact with the Breton's spell, whatever force was holding it together seemed to vanish. It crumbled under it's own weight, until there was nothing left but a blackened pile of splintering bone.

Sighing with relief, Cyrus proudly stepped to the lever and gave it a firm pull, allowing the rest of the party access as the summoned Atronachs reached the end of their brief summons and vanished, returning to the plains of Oblivion.

"Cyrus! Are you alright?" Juliet asked after she had jogged to his side, Jaden and Brelyna following.

"I'm fine." He assured her as he dismissed his spell.

"When did you learn Flame Cloak?" Jaden asked, a small smile on his face as Cyrus shrugged.

"A couple weeks ago. I bought a couple of tomes from Farengar. Flame Cloak was one of them." The Breton shook his head and turned to the passage with a sigh. "Let's get moving. We still have a staff to find."

Jaden nodded. He had a feeling that an undead dragon wouldn't be the worst thing they faced in this ruin.

As the four companions stepped down the passage that had been previously inaccessible, the Imprints made another appearance. This time, however, there were only five of them, gathered around a stone tablet. Their dialog quickly revealed why.

_"We... we have to go back. We can't leave Girduin..."_

_"We barely made it out alive, and you want to go back in?"_

_"It's too late. There isn't enough of him left to go back in after."_

_"Gods, what have we done?"_

_"We can't go back. Might as well go forward. We can still do this."_

_"Savos is right. We can make it if we just stay alert."_

"Looks like one of them didn't make it past the dragon." Cyrus said to no one in particular, his voice icy calm.

"Looks like it." Jaden confirmed as he approached the center of the room and knelt to get a better look at the tablet.

"Hail All - Brave City Bromjunaar. Forever These Walls Shall Stand. May Enemies See Her Majesty. May All Quake to Behold Her." The Dragonborn read aloud.

"Bromjunaar must be what this place was called, back in the ancient days." Juliet mused as she peered down the dark path ahead, the shadows not hiding anything from her eyes.

Jaden shook his head and stood. "It doesn't matter right now." His voice was filled with unease as he stepped down the passage. "We don't have a choice. We need to keep moving."

"Right." Brelyna confirmed, moving to follow.

Cyrus was slightly slower in following them, flinching slightly every time his gauntlet shifted.

"Cyrus? You alright?" Juliet asked, noticing her friend gently readjust his shield.

Cyrus turned to see her, his green eyes meeting her red. "I'm fine. It's not important right now." The mercenary assured her.

Juliet clearly didn't believe him, but she knew the Breton well enough not to press him. She turned and walked down the passage without another word.

They found Jaden and Brelyna standing in front of a door. It looked like it had been frozen solid, with small patches of frost spreading from it a short distance across the stone wall.

Jaden had his fist to his chin, deep in thought. "It's frost magic, obviously, so maybe we should try fire magic?"

"It's worth a try, at least." Brelyna nodded, turning to look at Cyrus and Juliet, as if expecting them to comment.

"Don't look at me." Juliet told her, folding her arms. "I don't use magic very often." _'In this form, at least.' _The Dunmer thought to herself.

"You two are the specialists here." Cyrus said, gesturing to the door. "Give it a shot."

Nodding, Jaden began summoning a Flames spell. However, before he could sent it towards the door, a cold rush of wind came from behind, carrying a deep, gravelly voice with it.

_"Wo meyz wah dii vul junaar?"_

The spell vanished from Jaden's grasp, as if it had been swallowed by some great and powerful force, along with most of the Dragonborn's magicka.

"Whoa." The Dunmer struggled out as he gripped his forehead. "What was that?"

"I don't know." Brelyna responded, looking similar. "My magicka…it's like something just….took it."

"Was that some kind of trap?" Cyrus asked, not as effected by the magicka drain.

"I don't know." Jaden muttered. "That voice….could it have-" He was cut off by a deep growl, originating from the door.

From within the frozen shell, stepped the ghostly form of a Draugr, but this one was very different from the standard Draugr that Jaden had fought in Saarthal.

This one looked like it was completely made of ice. It's glowing eyes locked on the party as it drew it's frozen war-axe.

Jaden swore softly to himself as he reached for his own blade, the dwarvern metal resting on his hip. He could feel his magicka begin to restore, but not enough to defeat this spirit.

That was as far as he got, however, before the icy undead had a pure black sword through it's torso.

Juliet had closed the distance impossibly fast, both hands locked around her blade's hilt as her eyes flared. With a quick spin she sent the spirit to the ground.

It didn't stay down long, as it's wounds seemed to heal almost instantly, like water refreezing. It shot an arm towards the older Dragonborn, releasing a blinding Frostbite spell.

"Juliet!" Brelyna called as she reached for her bow, but quickly realized her concern was unwarranted.

The frost magic clearly hit the cloaked Dunmer, but she didn't react in any way. It was as if she hadn't even noticed the magic as she spun, delivering a crushing kick to her opponent's knee, knocking it back to the floor.

Jaden gritted his teeth. Juliet could hit it all she wanted, it would make no difference. Only fire could kill the thing, but he couldn't use his Fire Breath Shout without hitting his sister. He just needed a few more seconds as his reserves replenished…

The spirit lurched back to it's feet, eyes blazing a frozen blue as it swung it's axe. Juliet brought her sword up and parried, only realize her mistake as the spirit sharply pulled it's weapon back, locking the blades together as it pushing forward, it's magical muscle forcing the Dunmer down.

Flames sparked in Jaden's hands as his magicka finally recovered.

"Jewels!" He shouted. The older Dunmer met his eye before releasing hold of her blade and throwing herself to the side, just as the icy spirit was struck from behind with the swirling flames.

With a hiss resembling a stream of cold water dripping onto red-hot iron, the spirit sank to the ground, glowing dimmer by the moment, before vanishing altogether as Jaden turned the billowing flames towards the door, unsealing the passage beyond.

"Nice work." Juliet smiled at her brother as she recovered her sword.

"Thanks." He responded, extinguishing the flames as Brelyna looked at him questioningly.

"I thought you only knew Shock spells."

"I said Shock spells came easily to me." Jaden corrected. "I never said they were the only ones I knew."

"Spoken like a Storm Mage." Brelyna said with a smile.

"If you lovebirds are done" Cyrus called over, his hidden smile growing as he saw both their faces begin to turn snowberry red. "We should press on."

"Of course!" Brelyna stammered out, breaking away from Jaden to join Juliet at the front of the group.

The Dragonborn had to bite back his disappointment as Brelyna moved away, her blushing face obscured by her hood. He decided to push the thoughts out of his mind for the moment as he followed. They had a job to do.

As the group passed through the door, the cold breeze came again, along with another message.

_"Nivahriin muz fen siiv nid aaz het." _

Jaden flinched as once again, his Magicka was absorbed. "Something is defiantly doing that intentionally."

"But what could be doing this?" Brelyna asked, turning to face her friend, eyes wide with barely contained fear.

"Something ancient." Cyrus interjected as he adjusted his shield uneasily. "I might not know as much as you two." He gestured to the Dragonborn siblings. "But I know that there's only one language that voice could be speaking."

Jaden nodded, his grip on his staff tightening further. "Dragons."

Brelyna's entire body tensed. "So, you're saying that whatever this thing is, it's connected to the Dragon's return?"

The other Dunmer nodded. "It has to be."

The silence that followed spoke volumes as the four began to make their way down the passage.

The tunnel ended quickly, emerging into another large chamber, with the entrance on a ledge over a deep chasm. Juliet peered over the side, seeing the familiar shimmer of clear water at the bottom, flowing downwards.

The few Draugr patrolling the path forward didn't even get a chance to draw their weapons, dropping from bolts of flame and precise arrows from above as the group picked them off before continuing.

As they crossed a rather narrow bridge towards another corridor, voice returned.

_"You do not answer... must I use this guttural language of yours?"_

Somehow, hearing that rumbling voice speaking a familiar tongue only made it more unnerving.

Jaden pulled a small vial of blue potion from his pouch and handed it to Brelyna before retrieving a second for himself. Trying to ignore the taste, they swallowed the thick liquid, feeling their Magicka restore partially.

"Thanks." Brelyna smiled as Jaden set his empty vial on a nearby stone table.

"No problem." Jaden returned the smile before leading the way down a staircase, deeper into the chasm. "I get the feeling we're going to need our Magicka soon."

These words were quickly proven true, as the next room contained several Draugr, all which were left in blackened chunks of charred flesh and bone.

Descending another passageway, the party finally arrived at the bottom of the chasm, stepping into angle deep water that flowed towards an ancient stone door.

"Divines, this waters cold!" Cyrus cursed as he stepped off the staircase and into the weak current.

"Cyrus, you, barely an hour ago, defeat an undead dragon and a small army of skeletons, but stepping into this water is too much?" Juliet asked, her voice amused.

Cyrus shot her an offended look. "Not everyone can handle the cold like you can, Jewels."

Juliet was about to respond, when the voice spoke yet again.

_"Have you returned, Aren? My old friend?"_

Jaden and Brelyna froze at the mention of the former Arch-mage's name before the Dragonborn recovered.

"Well, we know the Arch-mage was here before. He must have encountered whatever this thing is."

"And it apparently remembers him." Brelyna breathed, feeling her magicka regenerate once more.

Jaden nodded grimly as he led the group through the door.

* * *

The journey though the ancient city remained difficult, as the group encountered more and more variety in the ruin's occupants.

A heavily built troll fell to a combined effort of firebolts and arrows, falling back and laying still.

A ghostly Wispmother was reduced to a pile of ectoplasm as Juliet drove her enchanted blade through it's semi-transparent form.

The voice from earlier called out, as it had before, taunting a supposedly returned Savos Aren, but the group ignored it mostly. They had a job to do, and no amount of ghostly threats were going to stop them.

Juliet noticed something with her brother as they had been fighting the troll, and again with the Wispmother.

He always seemed to be keeping himself between Brelyna and the threat, firing his Thunderbolts with precision. The other Dunmer didn't seem to notice, as her Atronach gliding to the side as it charged it's spells and when the fighting was done, the Dragonborn asked if she was alright before checking himself for injuries.

'_Well'_ the older Dragonborn thought to herself, a small smile on her face as Jaden cast Healing Hands on a small burn the Wispmother had inflicted on his friend. _'as long as he's happy. But for her sake, she better not break his heart.'_

A flaming gate was quickly removed, as well as the spirit it summoned, thanks to the combined Frostbite spells of the two mages before the voice called yet again.

_"You...you are not Aren, are you? Has he sent you in his place?"_

"Took it long enough to figure that out." Cyrus muttered, flipping his sword uneasily.

The Imprints made another appearance as well, another of them missing as the four remaining began to despair.

Pushing onward, the party was met with resistance from more Draugr, but not the kind they were familiar with.

They were semi-transparent, glowing a malevolent blue, with spectral versions of their usual armour still visible on their ghostly forms.

Fortunately, they died just as easily as the usual forms, their bodies crumbling under both blade and spell.

Another taunt flowed through the air.

_"Did he warn you that your own power would be your undoing? That it would only serve to strengthen me?"_

Jaden and Brelyna gulped down more of Jaden's potion supply, feeling the need to keep their reserves high. The group had long since stopped commenting on the voice.

"Let's see where this leads." Jaden said aloud, hoping to relieve some of the tension that hung think in the air. He stepped down a passage, only to scramble back as a firebolt collided with the stone wall he had been standing beside.

"Azura damn it." He cursed.

"Draugr?" Cyrus asked, weapon raised.

The Dragonborn shook his head. "No. Spellcaster traps." He peeked his head around the corner to get a better look. "I see five of them. They're all armed." He stepped back. "If my Ward can hold back the spells we might be able to make it though."

"That's a pretty big 'if', Jaden." Brelyna responded.

"Indeed it is." Juliet said, her tone surprisingly confidant. "I think I have a safer option."

"And that is?" Jaden asked, confused.

The older Dunmer didn't respond with words.

At least not in a common tough.

"_FEIM ZII GRON!" _Juliet's Thu'um echoed through the halls as the shout took effect. In an instant, the woman was no longer a physical being. Her body was transparent blue as she sprinted down the corridor, knocking the Trap's power sources, Soul Gems, from their housings as the spells they fired passed harmlessly through her incorporeal form.

Her companions stepped into the room, ignoring the now disabled traps as her Become Ethereal shout faded, returning her body to it's normal appearance.

"Good idea." Jaden told his sister, sounding slightly impressed.

"I have my moments." Juliet responded with satisfaction, not missed her brother's tone.

They continued through the ruin, dealing with more spectral Draugr along the way, before the voice came one final time.

"_Come, face your end."_

The four companions tried not to let the voice's words discourage them, but it was becoming harder and harder with each appearance.

A sound from ahead quickly caught Juliet's attention. It sounded quite familiar, a quiet buzzing that grew more defined by the moment.

"Jaden, do you hear that?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she listened.

The younger Dragonborn stopped and listened. The buzzing was changing, becoming more defined until muffled chanting resounded from the corridor ahead.

"There's a Word Wall here." Jaden muttered, not surprised at all. He had learned quickly that Words of Power could be found in almost any ruin in Skyrim.

"A what?" Brelyna asked, confused.

"It's where we get the Words of Power for our Shouts from." Juliet clarified, watching as Jaden pushed open another door. "And there it is."

The door led into another large room with the Word Wall tucked into a corner, down a short flight of stairs with a throne situated above it, as if it wanted it's occupant to look down on the chamber, with another corridor leading onwards to the right.

"What are the odds that throne's empty?" Cyrus asked rhetorically as he once again adjusted his gauntlet.

"Not great." Juliet responded, pulling a dagger from her belt. It was a short, dark blade with a second, smaller point sticking out from the bottom. "Get your spells ready, mages." She told her companions, feeling a small amount of amusement at their slightly offended looks.

The elder Dragonborn's footsteps were silent as she approached the back of the stone chair, until she was directly behind it. With movements too fast to be natural, she brought her arm around the throne and buried her knife in it's occupant's chest.

A roar that had more resemblance to fury then pain echoed through the halls as the Deathlord lurched to it's feet, gripping it's battle-axe with a single hand.

Juliet quickly withdrew her knife as the Deathlord spun, it's axe shining as the Dunmer evaded and rolled away.

Her companions took this opportunity to release their charged spells. Three bolts of fire exploded against the ghostly Draugr, throwing it against the far wall, where it lay still.

"And now that that's over with, lets get a look at this wall." Jaden slipped his staff back into it's ring on his pack as he stepped closer, Juliet following as the blue light began to flow from the wall, entering the Dunmer's eyes.

"Jaden? Juliet?" Brelyna asked concerned as the siblings when rigid. She tried to approach, only to be stopped by Cyrus.

"Relax, Brelyna." Cyrus assured her as he gently gripped her shoulder. "They've done this before. Their just learning a new word."

"He's right." Jaden added as the light faded. "These Word Walls are written the dragon language." He gestured to the carvings. "See the way the letters are carved? It's like how a dragon would use it's claws. Anyway, Dragonborn can use these walls to learn new Words for our Shouts. This one is _Tiid, _which means 'Time' in our tongue."

"Are you going to test is now?" The conjuror asked, now more curious then concerned.

"Not now." Juliet said, turning away from the wall. "We still need to find that staff. It feels like we're close, at least."

Nodding, the group continued down the hallway, defeating the skeletons that were waiting in ambush and pushing open a rotting wood door.

The magical imprints faded into view, this time, only three remaining.

_"We shouldn't have left her there to die!"_

_"What else could we do? Stay there and die with her? She refused to go on, we didn't have a choice!"_

_"This is it, you know. Through this door. Can you feel it?"_

_"We're not going to make it, are we?"_

_"We stay together, no matter what. Agreed?"_

_"I'll be right with you."_

_"Agreed. We all stay together."_

As the images vanished, Jaden turned his attention to the door, only to feel is stomach drop. The last time he had felt this much dread, he was standing at the summit of the tallest mountain in Tamriel, getting ready to read an Elder Scroll. This was similar, not knowing what awaited him, but knowing that there was so avoiding it. He could almost feel the power radiate from that door.

"They're right you know." Cyrus said stepping beside Jaden. "This is it."

"The Staff has to be on the other side of that door." Juliet added, her glowing eyes narrowed as she traded her sword for her bow.

Jaden nodded. "I feel it too."

"But we don't have a choice!" Brelyna said firmly as she stepped in front of them. "What's the other option? Go back through this hell and leave? Abandon Winterhold to whatever Ancano's doing? We need to stop this now!"

The young conjuror's words snapped Jaden out of his trance. "Brelyna's right. No matter what happens, we need to get that Staff."

"I'll be right behind you." Cyrus said, his armor clanking together as he shifted his grip.

"So will I." Juliet added, keeping an arrow drawn.

With one last glance at Brelyna, Jaden threw open the door.


	11. Chapter 11

"By Azura….." The words fell from Juliet's mouth involuntarily as the group entered the deepest chamber of the ruin.

It looked like a combination of man-made structure and natural cavern, with carved stairs leading up what might have once been the citadel of the ancient city. The floor was ancient brick, leading into the wall, where the group could clearly see the crumbing remains of more brickwork in some places. Great stone arches stretched away from the ancient keep, opposite a construction resembling a stage.

From the arches, two beams of magical energy were projected from an unknown source, projecting what appeared to be a bubble of Ward magic around a single figure.

"_Welcome, guests." _The voice from before surged through the air, this time, clearly originating from the figure that was imprisoned. _"Come, let me see the face of my adversaries."_

With great caution, the four adventurers scaled the nearby the staircase until they were visible to the shielded being and able to see it more clearly.

It wore what might have once been a mage's robe, but time had clearly not been kind to it. It was ragged, with large areas worn clean through, as if the cloth was on the verge of disintegrating. Atop the robes, there was a small series of interlocking bone, acting as armour to the beings torso as it levitated roughly a foot off the ground.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the figure was it's head. It was completely encased in a dull metal mask, with a thin line across the lower region resembling a frown and two hollow opens for eyes.

What caught Jaden's attention, however, was the staff clenched in the being's right hand.

It's shape was vaguely familiar, with a small blue-green orb attached to it's head, with patterns running down it's length.

There was no doubt in the Dunmer's mind that they had found the Staff of Magnus.

"_You? You four maggots were able to reach this point?" _The being made a rasping sound that could only have been laughter. _"Wait…." _The being appeared to focus on the Dunmer siblings that were standing next to each other. _"I feel something from you…..Dovahkiin?"_

"We are." Juliet confirmed, her bowstring tight with an Elven arrow aimed at the being's chest. "We are the last Dragonborn. Now, who are you?"

"_Do not anger me, Dunmer wretch." _The undead spat before flourishing it's arms above it's head. _"Behold, mortals! In the Dragon tongue, I am Morokei! In your insulting language, I am Glorious! I am a humble servant of the true lords of this world, the Dov!"_

"Dragon Priest." Jaden muttered, his staff sparking in preparation. "Mortal men who chose to worship the Dragons as gods before they were defeated."

"_Indeed." _Morokei gave the younger Dragonborn a hard look. _"But that time has come to an end! My masters have returned from their exile and once they are victorious, I shall share in their glory!" _The group could clearly hear the Dragon Priest's bones snapping as it tightened it's grip on the staff. _"They shall reward me greatly for your deaths, Dovahkiin."_

"Oh, really?" Juliet did not sound intimidated, much to Brelyna's amazement. "Krosis thought something similar, you know."

"_Krosis?" _ Morokei paused at the mention of his fellow's name.

"Yes." Juliet nodded. "I met him on top of Shearpoint a few weeks ago. He thought that he would be rewarded for killing me as well." The older Dragonborn reached into her pouch, retrieving a small metal object.

"Right before I took off his head." Juliet finished, throwing the item at the Dragon Priest's feet.

It was another metal mask, this one almost green in tinge, but very similar in design.

"As you can see, 'Glorious', I've tangled with your kind before. I am not afraid of you." Juliet spat, drawing her bow tight once more.

She had expected Morokei to react with anger, becoming vengeful at the death of his fellow Dragon Preist, which is why she was greatly disturbed when another raspy laugh escaped the undead's mouth.

"_You have done me a service, Dovahkiin. Krosis had long desired my position as ruler of this city. I thank you for dealing with him, but do not think you know the power I wield. I will destroy you all, just as I did with Aren!"_

"Not true. Savos made it out alive." Jaden corrected, his staff sparking dangerously as he channelled more power into it's Soul Gem.

"_But at what cost?" _Morokei pointed towards the archways.

Turning, Jaden's eyes widened at the sight.

Kneeling on two of the arches, were a pair of incorporeal figures, casting the spell keeping the Dragon Priest imprisoned. They bore a striking resemblance to…..

"The apprentices." Brelyna breathed. "If the Arch-mage made it out alive….then…" She seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"_Yes, do you see what he's done?" _Morokei taunted._ "He enthralled his friends to keep me bound in this prison. Their physical bodies have long since died, and even in death he damned them to contain me, bound them to this place for all time." _Another raspy laugh. _"He was too concerned with saving himself to consider saving them."_

Jaden was aghast. He was shocked that Savos Aren, the calm, quiet Arch-mage had done this to his friends. It was….monstrous.

"_And you will do no different, Dovahkiin."_

Jaden spun, his eyes blazing, about to retort, but another voice beat him to it.

"No!" Brelyna shouted, her voice filled with anger at the Dragon Priest's words. "Jaden isn't like that. I know he isn't!"

"_Really?" _Morokei chuckled dryly. _"And what makes you think that, little elf? How do you know he won't abandon you?"_

"Because he knows we can defeat you." Cyrus cut in. "We came here for one reason: that staff!" He pointed with his sword.

"_Oh? And what gives you the right to wield the Staff of Magnus?" _As the Dragon Priest spoke, Juliet recovered the mask she had thrown, slipping it back into her pouch.

"At least Jaden would put it to good use, keeping Skyrim safe from your so called 'Gods'." Cyrus spat, spinning his blade. "You can give it to us willingly, or we can release you, grind what's left of your rotten body into powder, and take it from your ashes. Your decision."

Morokei didn't seem intimidated. _"Brave words, Breton. Very well. If you truly desire this staff, release me. End the spell that binds me here and face me in battle. Win, and the staff is yours. When you lose, you will die, with your magic becoming mine to wield."_

Slowly, Jaden nodded. "If that's the way is has to be."

Taking quick aim, Jaden released a lightning bolt at the closest Enthralled Wizard as Juliet fired her arrow at the further. Both quietly moaned before collapsing into nothingness, the bubble surrounding Morokei vanishing with them.

"_Freedom…..at long last…." _The Dragon Priest levitated higher, his magic flickering around him as he cast Ebonyflesh and Lightning Cloak on himself.

The group didn't waste a moment, releasing a barrage of Thunderbolts, Firebolts and enchanted arrows, all aimed at the levitating undead.

With a grunt, the Dragon Priest absorbed the spells, leaving only an Elven arrow imbedded in it's shoulder as it prepared it's counter.

The entire group flung themselves away as the Dragon Priest released his own Thunderbolt spells, sending chunks of ancient stone spraying in all directions. Jaden and Brelyna ended up behind one of the stone arches, hands filled with magic as they prepared for another attack. They had lost sight of Juliet and Cyrus was crouching behind a crumbling statue on the far side of the room, closer to the Undead.

Morokei didn't even seem bothered by the spells that flew towards him, lazily raising a hand and summoning a powerful ward before releasing more Thunderbolt spells, forcing the Dunmer back behind the wall.

"_You think that a group as pathetic as you could best me? I am Morokei! I am master of all magic! I am-"_

"KRII LUN AUS!" Words of power exploded from a previously empty area behind the Dragon priest as Juliet seemed to pop into view.

The Dragon Priest flinched visibly as the shout washed over him. His body became covered in a crisscross of pale purple light as he turned to glare at the already running Dunmer. He raised his hand, lightning crackling as he took aim.

"Jewels!" Jaden shouted as he and Brelyna stood, releasing a duel-casted Thunderbolt into the Dragon Priest's exposed side, accompanied by a pair of firebolts.

The combined spells forced off the undead's aim, causing it's spell to impact the side of it's target, who took the opportunity to pull a vial from her pocket and down it's contents, vanishing from view once more.

Morokei snarled as he spun in mid-air, releasing more spells at the mages, who ducked behind the wall once more. The Dragon Priest didn't seem to interested in defeating them quickly, taking his time as he prepared more magic as the purple light from Juliet's Thu'um continued to glow across his body.

"Damn it…" Brelyna muttered, an orb of purple magic swirling in her hand. With a flash, her Flame Atronach materialized by her side, flinging it's firebolts at the hovering undead. Jaden prepared another Thunderbolt and released it as well.

Unable to maintain his ward in two directions at once, Morokei grunted as a firebolt collided with his stomach, his robe singing slightly as the flames came in contact with the dry cloth.

Ducking back down, Jaden grabbed another vial of Magicka potion as the Atronach continued it's barrage, now blocked by the Dragon Priest's ward. For a moment, it seemed the Atronach would at least prove to be a distraction.

However, Morokei released his ward, his hand glowing purple, and pointed at the Atronach.

The summoned Daedra froze for a moment, before it slowly turned towards the Dunmer, it's hand glowing with magic.

Jaden tackled Brelyna behind the wall as her Atronach released it's firebolt, colliding with the stonework with regular crashes.

"What was that?" Jaden asked through gritted teeth.

"He must know the Command Daedra spell!" Brelyna gasped as she knelt to stay behind the wall. "But only Expert Conjurors should be able to do that spell!"

Jaden was about to add something, but at than moment, the Atronach in question slid around the corner. Instead of it's usual tactic of keeping distance and flinging firebolts, it charged straight at them, glowing brightly almost as if it was about…

The Dunmer dove to the side as the Atronach exploded in a brilliant fireball, hot sparks landing all around them.

Jaden quickly realized his mistake. Jumping away from the explosion had pulled him away from what little cover he had and he was now on his stomach, in plain view of the Dragon Priest, who descended to floor level and raised his hand, magic crackling.

"_I expected more from you, Dovahkiin. Even now you-UGH!"_ The Dragon Priest was cut off by an Ebony shield collided with the back of his head.

Cyrus sprinted towards them, his shiedless hand blazing as he summoned his Flame cloak before gripping his sword with both hands.

Jaden took the opportunity to scramble away, summoning his Restoration magic to heal the small burns that hindered his movement.

Morokei didn't even try to avoid the Breton's sword, instead parrying with the staff as the two cloaks, one of Lightning, one of Flame, mingled around them.

Cyrus was strong from years of wearing his Ebony armour and wielding his heavy weapons, but it seemed that even after centuries of remaining buried in this ruin, Morokei's magically augmented body remained strong. Add to that, even Brelyna, who had no experience with swords, could see that Cyrus was clearly favouring his right arm.

The Dragon Priest began to force the Breton's sword up, Cyrus grunting from the effort. Suddenly, Morokei changed tactics, pulling the staff away. Robbed of his support, Cyrus stumbled forwards until the staff collided with his left forearm. The Breton cried out in pain before taking a Thunderbolt to his chest, sending him flying against the stone wall, where he lay still.

"Cyrus!" Juielt reappeared with a _twang_ of her bowstring as another elven arrow shot into the undead's side.

Morokei didn't even notice the impact. He kept his attention on the fallen Breton, raising his staff.

"_WULD NAH KEST!" _Jaden's Thu'um exploded from his lips as he was carried to his friend's side, bringing his staff around.

The two staffs released their magic at the same moment, their energy colliding in mid-air.

Jaden gritted his teeth as he forced more magicka into his staff, vaguely aware of Juliet pulling Cyrus away, towards the door on the upper level.

For a moment it seemed that the Dragonborn would be able to stand his ground, but Morokei grunted behind his mask and gripped the staff two handed.

The Dragon Priest's beam began to creep down towards Jaden, until it collided with his staff, cracks beginning to form in the wood, before exploding in a violent blast, throwing Jaden back.

Jaden almost couldn't comprehend what had just happened. The staff, the one that had belonged to one of the greatest hero's in the history of Nirn, that had been Jaden's constant companion since he left Cyrodiil, had just exploded in his hands, leaving nothing but a few shards of wood and Soul Gem.

"_Dovahkiin, now do you see?" _Morokei taunted with another raspy laugh. _"Your friends valued saving each other of you. It seems I was wrong, however." _The Dragon Priest raised the staff once more. _"This time, you were the one left behind!"_

A pair of firebolts impacted Morokei, throwing off his aim. Slowly, Morokei turned to look at his attacker.

Brelyna stood atop one of the arches, his hands filled with flame as she sent another pair of firebolts. Her eyes were held only determination as she released them, only to be blocked by another Ward.

Morokei levitated upwards until he had matched her height raising his staff. _"Very well, Dunmer." _He pointed the staff at Brelyna, the orb glowing. _"I will end you first."_

That was it. Seeing his friend beaten down, he could handle. Cyrus had experienced far worse in the previous years as a mercenary. But watching Morokei point the Staff of Magnus at Brelyna Maryon? That is what made Jaden snap.

He felt his magicka surge into his hands as he performed the incantation he had read in _Power of the Elements_, lightning jumping between his hands.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Jaden shouted as he brought his hands together.

Morokei spun, sensing the build-up of magicka and thrust his hand forward, summoning his Ward. Moments later, Jaden released his spell.

A beam of lighting resembling a Thunderbolt shot from Jaden's hands, impacting the ward with all the Dunmer's fury.

Morokei stood his ground, waiting for the spell to end, as all Thunderbolt spells do.

It didn't.

The beam continued to pour from Jaden's hands as his magicka was consumed until impacting the ward.

Ten seconds of stalemate passed, then twenty, then thirty, before it was finally broken.

Brelyna could only watch, eyes wide, as the ward shattered like a glass vase and the beam smashed into Morokei, pinning him to the wall as the Shock spell coursed through him. His cloak began to smoke with the bone pieces cracking before beginning to dissolve into a heap of crumbing ash.

By the time even Jaden's anger couldn't maintain the Lightning Storm anymore, the only things remaining of the Dragon Priest were the Staff of Magnus, and his mask, which fell to the ground with a clang.

Jaden immediately fell to his knees, gasping for breath before Brelyna reached his side, gripping his shoulders.

"Jaden, are you alright? What was that spell?" Brelyna's voice was almost impossible to understand as she was talking so fast.

"I'm fine." Jaden gasped. "I've just never….felt so….empty." It was true. He had never felt so depleted of magicka. Faralda was right. The spells in that book were very powerful. Slowly, the Dunmer pushed himself to his feet.

The pair made their way to the pile of ashes formerly known as Morokei. Kneeling, Jaden picked up his mask. "This looks important. My spell couldn't damage it, either."

"It must be." Brelyna seemed unsure as she noticed a shard of wood laying next to them. "I'm sorry about your staff."

"It's just a staff. It's not that important." Jaden assured her as he reached down again. "Besides" He stood, gripping his prize. "I have a worthy replacement, right here." He held the Staff of Magnus tightly. After everything they had gone through to get it, Jaden wasn't letting it out of his sight.

Nodding, the two apprentices climbed the archway, to be greeted by an armed Juliet and an unconscious Cyrus.

"What happened? Where's the Dragon priest?" Juliet asked, eyeing the hallway behind them.

"Dead." Jaden said simply. Before Juliet could speak, he knelt next to his friend. "I'll explain on the way back. We have the staff."

Juliet had taken off Cyrus's helmet, revealing his bruised face, but the real damage seemed to have been done to his arm.

The entire arm was a sickly purple, with a small bulge as if something was poking against his skin from the inside.

"That is clearly broken." Jaden sighed, summoning his Restoration magic and holding it to the arm, joined by Brelyna moments later.

Cyrus flinched massively in his sleep as the bone slowly reset itself. The color slowly returned to normal, until there was no sign of a wound at all.

"We need to get him out of here." Brelyna said with conviction. "He needs real rest, not leaning against a wall."

"Right." Jaden confirmed.

The two mages each took an arm, supporting the heavy Breton as they made their way towards the door, only to be greeted with another imprint.

This time, Savos was alone. His words quickly made it apparent why.

_"...I'm sorry, friends. I'm so sorry! I had no choice! It was the only way to make sure that monster never escaped! I promise you, I'll never let this happen again! I'll seal this whole place away..."_

"What the Arch-mage did was horrible. But…" Brelyna paused. "I can sort of understand. Morokei was a monster."

The Dovahkiin siblings didn't say anything, only nodding grimly.

Their way to the surface was blocked only once more, this time, by a living figure.

This one was an Altmer man, and judging by his hooded robes, he was clearly a Thalmor agent.

"So, you made it out of there alive. Ancano was right. You are-" He was cut off when an Elven arrow embedded itself in this throat. There was a brief moment of coughing up blood before he fell back, twitiching.

Jaden and Brelyna slowly turned to look at Juliet, who stood to the side with her bow still drawn.

"What?" She asked as she slipped the bow back onto her back. "I don't know about you all, but my tolerance for Thalmor bullshit has long since been used up."

Jaden and Brelyna nodded before making their way down the passage. It lead them to an ancient ladder that finally led them back into the open air.

Looking to the west, they could quickly see that something was wrong.

A huge, swirling storm of dark clouds were gathering in the distance, right over when the College should be.

"The two of you need to get back there, now." Juliet stated, much to the Mage's surprise. "At this point, Cyrus will only slow you down. I'll take him to find a temple. Just get back there and deal with this."

With a quick look at Brelyna, Jaden nodded. "Alright. Good luck, sis."

A small smile from Juliet instantly made him feel more confident. "You too, bud. Give Ancano hell."


	12. Chapter 12

The trip back too Winterhold was one of determined silence.

"Oh gods….." Jaden's voice was almost inaudible over the rushing wind, which only grew fiercer as they ran down the deserted street towards the College.

The energy that had been present before now seemed to have grown even stronger, now having a visual effect on the world. Looked similar to a mirage, the colorless energy swirling and distorting the image of ancient stone building.

As the mages arrived on the bridge, a small cluster of figures became visible, spells flying from their hands towards a Magical Anomaly. Jaden and Brelyna quickly joined the fray, sending a stream of Sparks into the orb before it exploded.

"Jaden, Brelyna! You're both alright!" Tolfdir called as the two apprentices approached.

"Few cuts and burns, but we're fine." Jaden assured the Alteration master before turning to the College. From a distance, the magic merely felt foreboding, but up close, the Dunmer could physically feel it pushing against him, trying to force him away. "Let's hope this thing works." He said as he pulled the Staff of Magnus from his back.

"You found it? Thank the Nine!" Tolfdir sounding relieved. "Let's hope it's as powerful as we hope."

"Mirabelle seemed to think it was." Brelyna declared as the three mages began to walk towards the College, towards the barrier. "Whereis she?"

"She….She didn't make it."

Both apprentices spun, meeting the old Nord's downcast eyes.

"What?" Jaden asked, his voice very quiet.

"When it was clear we were going to have to fall back, Mirabelle stayed behind to make sure the rest of us made it out." Tolfdir told them, his shoulders slumped and head lowered.

The Dragonborn turned back to the College, his fist tightening around the Staff as he pointed it forward. "Ancano's going to pay for this. I swear to Azura."

Before anyone could say otherwise, Jaden released the Staff's power on the barrier. The orb on the end began to glow softly with blue-green light as it began to siphon away the magic.

Within moments, the way was clear, allowing the two Dunmer and Tolfdir to run through the gusting wind and throw open the door to the Hall of the Elements.

The Eye was still floating in the center of the room, it's usual humming grown to a quiet rumble, with the Thalmor still kneeling on the far side, still casting his spell.

When Ancano turned to them, his face cracked into an insane smile. His eyes had lost their gold coloring, replaced with the same glowing green as the Eye's power.

"You think I don't know what you're up to? You think I can't destroy you!?" The Thalmor released as manic laugh. "The power to unmake the world at my fingertips, and you think you can do anything against me?!"

"Why do Thalmor always say things like that?" Jaden asked, not intimidated. "Is it a taught skill or does it come naturally after you've oppressed enough people?"

Tolfdir summoned his magicka, shaping it into a powerful Fireball before releasing it on the Thalmor. The orb impacted the Altmer's chest, but Ancano didn't even seem to notice, his sneer growing larger.

"I am beyond your pathetic attempts at magic!" He shouted before releasing another laugh, just as insane as the last. A swirl of green light exploded from his hand, washing over Tolfdir and Brelyna.

"No!" Jaden shouted as he watched the pair fall to the floor, paralyzed. He turned back to the Thalmor agent, the Staff of Magnus glowing in response to his rising anger.

Ancano didn't even notice. "Still you resist? Perhaps I should end you first." He gestured towards the Eye. The panels seemed to split across the surface before swirling away, revealing the core of the Eye.

An almost blinding light shone from the core, the panels swirling faster to the point of invisibility.

"Come. See what I can do now!" Ancano shouted as he summoned a Thunderbolt.

Jaden ducked to the side, behind a pillar as he considered his options.

Seeing Tolfdir's failed attack on the agent told the Dunmer that merely striking the Thalmor wouldn't work.

Luckily for him, Ancano seemed content to release Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt into the pillar, sending chunks of stone flying in every direction and giving the Dunmer plenty of thinking time.

Plans raced through the Dunmer's mind until he remembered the Auger's words.

"To see through Magnus's eye without being blinded, you require his…Staff!" Jaden said aloud as he gripped the staff tighter. "Okay, I need a distraction." As he spoke, a purple ball of magic materialized in his free hand.

With a flick of his wrist, Barry took form on the far side of the pillar, quickly drawing the Thalmor's attention.

With Ancano's attention focused elsewhere, the Dragonborn stepped beside the pillar, the angle concealing him from the Thalmor as he released the Staff's power on the Eye. For a few moments, it seemed nothing was happening, but slowly, panels began to return, flying into place along the surface.

Ancano didn't seem to notice as Barry released a Lightning Bolt at him, only for it to dissipate harmlessly against his chest.

As the last panel clicked into place on the Eye, the Thalmor fired off a Thunderbolt onto the Storm Atronach.

This, he realized immediately afterwards, was the worst thing he could have done.

The Thunderbolt struck the Daedra's shifting form, only to be absorbed. The magic was visibly traveling up Barry's body before gathering in the Storm Atronach's hands.

Barry didn't hesitate in firing the Thunderbolt back at the Thalmor.

Ancano cried out as the power of his own spell knocked him onto his back, his robes smoking.

Jaden took this opportunity to turn the Staff onto the Thalmor. He could feel the Altmer's power being absorbed, giving his own Magicka an increase.

Ancano didn't stay down long, however, the Lightning that had been in his hand replaced with flame. He released an Incinerate spell at the Atronach. With a defeated crackle, Barry vanished as Ancano turned back to the Eye, opening it once more.

This time, however, it had an unintended side effect.

With a blast of energy, two Magic Anomalies materialized.

For a moment, they merely buzzed around the room, before they seemed to register a target, zipping towards Ancano.

The Thalmor clearly didn't anticipate their actions as they began to siphon away his power.

"No!" the Thalmor screamed as he fired spells wildly, none of them striking their targets. "This power is mine! You will not take it from ME!" As he said the final word, his entire body released a blast of magic, incinerating the Anomalies into piles off magical goo.

Jaden gritted his teeth as he turned the staff back on the Eye, hoping to at least stop Ancano from recovering his power.

The moment Eye was closed once again, Ancano screamed, sprinting towards Jaden as he released spell after spell, only for them to shatter against the Dunmer's Ward.

"_FUS RO DAH" _Unrelenting Force exploded from Jaden's mouth, sending Ancano sprawling as the Staff's beam struck him once more.

Jaden began releasing a Sparks spell onto the Altmer as he struggled to his feet. Ancano cried out as the electricity surged though him, further draining his Magicka. His spells began to lose power and accuracy.

"No!" Ancano screamed once more. A single Thunderbolt flew from the Thalmor's hand, throwing the Dunmer away.

Jaden grunted as he forced himself onto his knees, the Staff held in his left hand.

Ancano struggled towards him, his hand sparking. He was relying on his own abilities now, all the power he had absorbed from the Eye having been sucked from his body. The glowing in his eyes had ceased, their usual dull gold coloring restored as he stopped next to the downed Dunmer and took aim, lightning crackling between his fingers.

"Do I have your respect now, boy?" He sneered, breathing heavily.

Jaden looked up and to Ancano's surprise, he was smiling. "No."

The Dunmer lashed out with the staff, knocking the Altmer's hand away as he twisted his torso, bringing his other arm around.

An incredible pain spread thought he Thalmor's chest as the bronze colored blade entered his chest. His scream was almost animalistic as the Dunmer forced his dwarven sword in deeper into Ancano until it was visibly sprouting from his back.

Ancano slumped against Jaden's shoulder, the Dunmer's mouth close to Ancano's head, leaving him able to the Dragonborn's words.

"That was for Savos and Mirabelle, you Thalmor bastard."

Jaden shoved Ancano off of his shoulder as he withdrew his blade and leaned back, supporting himself against the wall as he breathed.

Tolfdir and Brelyna jumped to their feet, the paralysis spell having faded on Ancano's death.

"Jaden my boy, are you alright?" Tolfdir asked, his concern evident.

"I'm fine." Jaden assured them both as he sheathed his blade. "That was….difficult." Another breath. "I just….need a minute…"

"You've done well, my boy, but we're still in danger." Tolfdir told him, turning to the room as Brelyna handed Jaden a Stamina potion. "Whatever Ancano's done to the Eye…it doesn't seem to have stopped!"

"Azura damn it!" Jaden swore as he turned back to orb, watching it rotate. "Well, now what?"

"I have no idea." Tolfdir told the apprentices. "Maybe the staff could-"

"That is not your concern." A new voice joined the three mages.

With a small shower of sparks, the familiar form of one of the Phsijic monks materialized.

"We knew you would succeed." He assured the Dragonborn as the Dunmer sighed.

"Thank you. Now, as much as I enjoy praise, can we get back on the topic of the giant, magically unstable orb floating in the center of the room?" The Dragonborn's words were pointed, but not venomous, his exhaustion getting to better of him.

The Monk seemed to understand. "Very well, Mr. Relix. Ancano's actions proved that we were correct. The world is not ready for the power of the Eye. If it's left here, it's effects will spread. Not only would your College, but all of Nirn suffer for it."

"And what can we do about that?"

"The Order will safeguard it…..for now."

As the monk finished, two more members of the order materialized in the room, moving to either side of the Eye. Simultaneously, they cast their spell and vanished, this time, taking the Eye with them.

"The Order thanks you, Dragonborn." The last monk vanished, leaving the Hall of the Elements silent.

It's odd how silent a place can seem after being in constant noise. This thought was passing through everyone's minds as the Hall fell silent for the first time since the excavation of Saarthal two weeks prior.

Eventually, Jaden broke the silence with a sigh. "Well, I don't know about you two, but I need some sleep." The exhausted Dunmer was halfway to the door when Tolfdir caught up with him.

"Jaden, wait a moment. There's something I need to discuss with you."

"Yes?" Jaden asked, facing his teacher respectfully.

The old Nord sighed before continuing. "After we lost Mirabelle, the other Instructors and I had a meeting regarding the position of Arch-mage."

Jaden nodded. He knew that the position would have to filled soon. "Well, I guess that makes sense."

"We discussed the possibilities at length. I was quite flattered when someone put my name forward." Tolfdir continued.

Jaden smiled. "I'm sure you'll make an excellent Arch-mage."

Tolfdir returned the smile. "I have my doubts. That is why I was relieved when Faralda suggested you."

The Dunmer froze. "Me?"

Tolfdir nodded, his smile not fading. "Who better to lead the College then the Mer that saved it?"

Jaden remained silent, almost despite to find a way to counter the old Nord's words.

"Who indeed?" Brelyna chimed in.

"Well, Jaden? Do you accept?" Tolfdir asked.

A sigh was his answer as the Dunmer turned back to the door. "Ask me again after I've slept."

The Dragonborn exited the hall, only to be stopped by Brelyna as she caught up with him.

"Jaden, why are you acting so dismissive?" Brelyna's concern was evident as Jaden leaned against the wall. "They're asking you to be Arch-mage for Azura's sake!"

Jaden slowly met Brelyna's eye, his own filled with doubt. "Brelyna, two weeks ago, I was walking up that bridge for the first time." He pointed to the stone bridge that the College's staff and apprentices were crossing. "Now, after everything that's happened, they want me to run the place? Add that to the other things I need to do. I just….don't know if I'm up for that."

Brelyna's answer came quicker than anticipated, and in a different form. She stepped closer to the Dragonborn and before he could react, planted a kiss on his cheek. "At least think on it."

She left without another word.

* * *

Brelyna frowned as she made her way back to the Hall of Attainment, thinking on the events of the last week.

After a night of thought, Jaden had accepted the offer, becoming the College's newest Arch-mage. Tolfdir had become the unofficial Master Wizard, keeping things running smoothly as Jaden attempted to smooth things over with the rest of Winterhold.

The Dunmer had worn his new Arch-mage's robes as he addressed the town, explaining that it had been Ancano's actions that had led to the attack.

Some of the townspeople had thrown that claim back in his face, claiming that the mage's were actively trying to destroy the town, making references to the Great Collapse. The fact Jaden was a Dunmer didn't help either.

It had taken several hours, but eventually the Dragonborn was able to convince the Jarl of the truth. The guardsmen spoke on his behalf, telling the Jarl that the Mages had defended the town when the guards couldn't. With a little persuasion, the anger and blame was moved away from the College and back to where it belonged, on the Thalmor.

Brelyna didn't see much of the Arch-mage during the day. She supposed that the Dragonborn had been rather busy with his new duties. But he always appeared during that day's lessons. When she asked why he did, his defence of the action was rather simple.

Just because he was Arch-mage, didn't mean he had nothing left to learn.

As she pushed the door open, she was surprised to find that she her room wasn't unoccupied.

Faralda was seated in the corner. "Ah, Mrs. Maryon. I was wondering what took you so long."

"Faralda? Did you need something?" Brelyna asked as the Destruction instruction stood.

"Nothing of importance. The Arch-mage asked me to give you this." The Altmer said as she handed the Dunmer a small role of parchment before leaving, but Brelyna caught the strange look in her eye as she left.

Confused by current events, Brelyna unrolled the parchment.

_Brelyna_

_I know I should be telling you this, face to face, but this is hard enough as it is._

_You might have noticed my absence from today's lesson, but I know…no…I hope you'll understand this. _

_I'm leaving the College for now. I've spoken to Tolfdir about this already and he assures me that he can handle the day-to-day operations at the College._

_You know what I am, Brelyna, and what I'm destined to do. Alduin is still out there, and I have to stop him, no matter what._

_But I'm not writing this to tell you what you already know._

_Brelyna, when I first met you, I thought you were beautiful. That didn't change as we became friends._

"Oh….Jaden." Brelyna was shocked by the letter's words.

_You cannot know how much it meant to me when you came with me to Windhelm, that you fought that dragon with me. That beast might have bested me if not for you._

The mere thought of Jaden dying sent a chill down Brelyna's spine as she kept reading.

_I began to suspect what was happening to me the night we spent in Windhelm. My suspicions grew during our time in Mzulft. But I think it was during our fight with Morokei that I finally figured it out. Seeing him point the staff at you…_

_I don't know any other way to phrase this._

_I love you, Brelyna Maryon._

Brelyna's eye froze as they passed over those words.

The three words that could make or break a person.

_I feel like such a coward, telling you through a note, but if I told you, face to face, I wouldn't be able to leave. I know I have to do this. I'm one of the only ones who can._

_Stay at the College, Brelyna. Continue your studies. Become a great Conjuror, and, if it's that important to you, make your parents proud._

_I swear to every divine out there that will come back to the College, someday. _

_I hope I see you here, when I do._

_Your Dovahkiin_

_Jaden._

Brelyna couldn't believe the note. Jaden, the strong, smart, brave Dunmer, loved her. She was still frozen as Faralda re-entered her room.

"He only left a couple minutes ago, you know."

Brelyna froze at the Instructor's words. If he had only left a few minutes ago, she could….

"He should still be in Winterhold. If you hurry you should catch him before long." Faralda's voice was blank of any emotion as she turned away and left the Hall, leaving the Dunmer to her thoughts.

* * *

"Damned knots….how did this even happen?"

Jaden was on the outskirts of Winterhold, the Staff of Magnus still strapped across his back as he struggled with his horse's reins. Somehow, they had become wrapped together around a post, alongside Brelyna's. After a couple moments of struggle, he had been able to get them loose, but now he was busy trying to get them untangled from each other.

This wasn't completely impossible, as the stable owner probably had to move the horse a couple times before Jaden came back for it, but still highly irritating.

The Dunmer's thoughts traveled back to Brelyna, and how much it hurt to leave without seeing her.

'It's of the best.' He told himself, over and over again, but it still didn't ease the pain.

Finally, the reins were straightened and Jaden led his horse out of the stable, into a howling wind.

For a moment, it almost sounded like Brelyna's voice.

Jaden sighed as he pulled himself onto the brown and white horse, it's hardy back supporting his weight.

"Jaden…..Jaden…"

This time, it was not the wind. Turning in his saddle, Jaden saw Brelyna sprinting across the bridge as fast as she could.

The Dragonborn almost jumped off his horse before rushing to meet her half-way.

"Brelyna, what are you doing?" He asked.

Brelyna was breathing hard, being a mage not doing much for her stamina. "I had to hear you….say it."

"What?"

Brelyna raised her hand, still gripping Jaden's note. "Is what you wrote true?"

Jaden froze. Now he understood.

"Is it?!"

Slowly, the Dragonborn nodded. "It is." It took a moment and all the mental discipline that the Dunmer could muster to continue. "I love you."

The moment those words were spoken Brelnya's face cracked into a smile. "Good."

Jaden recoiled slightly at her response. "Good? What do mean by-" His words were cut off when Brelyna grabbed a handful of his robes and pulled him into a kiss.

Time seemed to stop as Jaden's brain attempted to catch up to current events. They could have been standing there for only a moment or several hours, it was impossible to tell when Brelyna pulled away, her blushing face dark red.

"I'm coming with you." Her voice was soft, but determined.

Jaden's eyes widened at the idea. "Brelyna, you can't! What about your studies and your parents and-" He was babbling at this point, only for Brelyna to cut him off again.

"Jaden, this is what I want to do. One of the few things I've ever been able to do on my own." Her grip on his robes tightened. "I love you and I want to be with you when you face Alduin again."

Jaden looked like he wanted to protest more, but the look in Brelyna's eye stopped him. The look told him there was nothing he could say that would change her mind about this.

"Alright."

After retrieving Brelyna's horse from the stable, the pair mounted their beasts and turned south.

"Where too first?" Brelyna asked, her smile wide.

"Whiterun." Jaden responded, returning the smile. "I got a letter from Jewels. She wants to meet there."

As the two Dunmer left the College behind, their departure was witnessed by a tall Altmer woman from the base of the bridge, who watched with a smile and folded arms.

"Oh, Baradas." Faralda said quietly to herself. "I wish you could see the Mer our grandson has become."


End file.
